The wooden boat rammed into the reef as a crew member, who was temporarily captaining the boat, was unfamiliar with the shipping route around the island, NTT Police spokesman Commissioner Johannes Bangun told ANTARA here on Monday morning.
"The boat crashed into the reef since it was led by one of its crew members named Yusran," he explained.
The incident occurred when the boat was sailing from South Sulawesi to Bima, West Nusa Tenggara Province.
En route, while sailing, HM Nur, the boat’s captain, felt unwell and sick, so he requested Yusran to lead the boat.
Yusran was not accustomed to the route, so the boat hit a reef and developed a leak and later sank.
"Luckily, no casualties were reported in the incident since during the incident, several crew members also immediately managed to rescue themselves," he remarked.
HM Nur and five crew members -- Aco, Wawan, Zakaria, Isran, and Yusran -- were currently being accommodated at the Seraya Marannu village chief's house.
Translator: Kornelis Kaha, Fardah
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
