We hope that the government, especially the South Sulawesi Provincial Government, would give greater attention because the family's hopes are only on the government. It has been five days, but there is no news yetMakassar, S Sulawesi (ANTARA) - The family of one of the missing victims of the Shinsung cargo ship that drowned on October 31 is seeking the government's assistance.
"We hope that the government, especially the South Sulawesi Provincial Government, would give greater attention because the family's hopes are only on the government. It has been five days, but there is no news yet," Ikonium, a friend and colleague of Andi Agung Mattola, one of the 12 missing crew members of the Shinsung cargo ship that drowned in Taiwan's waters, remarked here on Saturday.
Mattola's family in Bulukumba, South Sulawesi, expressed hope that the government would assist in the search for Mattola.
"(It is) because only the authorities can help with this search process," Ikonium, who was urged by Mattola's family to monitor his search, stated.
He had contacted his fellow crew members and agents, who dispatched the crew in Jakarta to watch the progress in search efforts.
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The cement-carrying ship was manned by 20 crew members, who were all Indonesian citizens, the Foreign Affairs Ministry's Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens and Legal Entities, Judha Nugraha, stated.
On October 30, 2022, three crew members suffered accidents on account of bad weather and were successfully evacuated by helicopters, so 17 Indonesian crew members were on board at the time of the sinking.
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"Of these, five crew members were rescued by the passing cargo ship Evergreen, while search and rescue efforts are still on for 12 others," he noted on Thursday, November 3.
The ship experienced engine failure and then sank due to huge waves, at a distance of about 14 nautical miles from the coastline of Changhua, Taiwan.
The government, through the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office to Taipei (KDEI Taipei), has coordinated with Taiwanese authorities, including a SAR team that had deployed three large ships, eight small ships, and military drones in the efforts to search for the missing crew.
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Translator: M Fatir, Kenzu
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
