Labuan Bajo, NTT, Dec. 28 -- Indonesian rescuers on Sunday expanded the search area for four Spanish nationals missing after a tourist boat sank off Padar Island near the resort town of Labuan Bajo, as authorities pressed on with a third day of operations amid challenging sea conditions.

The joint Search and Rescue (SAR) team widened the sweep to a radius of up to 5.25 nautical miles from the site of the accident, according to Fathur Rahman, head of the Maumere SAR office, who spoke from Labuan Bajo.

The operation marked the third day of efforts since Friday, December 26, when the accident occurred in waters within Komodo National Park, a popular destination in eastern Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province.

Earlier, rescuers evacuate...