For the time being, the SAR team is focusing the search on the scene of the accident.Batam (ANTARA) - A rescue team is still searching for seven illegal Indonesian migrant workers who went missing after their Malaysia-bound boat sank in Nongsa waters off Batam City, Riau Islands Province.
"For the time being, the SAR team is focusing the search on the scene of the accident," Chief of the Tanjung Pinang SAR Office Slamet Riyadi informed in Batam on Friday.
As per information received, the boat was carrying 30 illegal migrant workers, including a woman, when it sank, he said.
“Of the total workers, 23 were rescued and evacuated to Batam Naval Base. One of them, identified as Ahmad, was taken to Budi Kemuliaan Hospital in Batam City for shortness of breath after drinking too much sea water," he said.
The rescue team comprised officers from the Indonesian Navy (TN AL), the Indonesian Police (Polri), and the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas).
Related news: Boat carrying 57 Indonesian workers sinks in Malaysia, 10 died
Naval officers received information about the accident from a fisherman who spotted the boat sinking in the waters off Putri Island on Thursday night. The fisherman, identified as Iwan, helped several of the migrant workers.
"He contacted naval officers. The officers came to the scene soon to lend help," Riyadi said.
Nearly one hour after they were informed about the accident, the officers had rescued 16 migrant workers, who were then taken to Batam Naval Base, he added.
"The officers did not stop the search and managed to rescue seven other people. In total, 23 people have been rescued,” he said.
Related news: Seven missing as boat carrying 30 migrants capsizes in Batam
Translator: Ilham Yude P, Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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