Head of SAR for Medan Area Budiawan noted here on Thursday that the agency had also clarified to the Simalungun Police Resort about the total number of passengers.
According to preliminary data, the total number of missing passengers of the motor vessel reached 184.
The SAR team has found 19 survivors and three dead passengers.
"According to the preliminary data, the total number of passengers reaches 206," Budiawan stated.
Budiawan has instructed the personnel to conduct search operations, including by involving the diving team, to look for missing passengers.
Moreover, Head of the Simalungun Resort Police Senior Commissioner Adjunct Liberty Panjaitan stated that there was no exact record of the total number of passengers aboard MV Sinar Bangun.
Preliminary investigation into the incident indicated that several unlisted passengers had boarded the vessel before the accident.
MV Sinar Bangun sank on Monday (June 18) at 5:30 pm local time in the waters of Toba Lake.
Public Relations Officer of the North Sumatra Police Senior Commissioner Adjunct Nainggolan earlier stated that MV Sinar Bangun had set sail from the Simanindo Port of Samosir District and was heading to Tigaras Port of Simalungun District.
The official count of registered passengers aboard MV Sinar Bangun was 80, he added. Nainggolan noted that the bad weather and strong waves caused the vessel to tilt.
Reporter: Bayu Prasetyo
Editor: Ade P Marboen
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
