"We deployed Selayar SAR's rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) and are assisted by fishers' boats to look for the victims," South Sulawesi SAR's Head of Operations, Muhammad Rizal, confirmed on Tuesday.
The SAR team has continued to search for victims but has been constrained by bad weather and high waves that keep arising in the waters.
"We are still conducting the search, but the results are still nil," Rizal stated.
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Earlier, it was reported that passenger ship KM Kasman Indah 06 sank on Saturday (December 24) early morning while sailing from Reok Port, East Nusa Tenggara, to Bungeng Port in Jeneponto District, South Sulawesi.
While sailing in the Selayar waters, the ship, carrying 11 people comprising seven crew and four passengers along with hundreds of farm animals, was reportedly hit by high waves during extreme weather, thereby severely damaging the hull and wrecking the ship.
Based on information received from the local police on Sunday (December 25) at around 9:35 a.m. Central Indonesian Standard Time (WITA), five people were found in the Jampea waters near Bembe Selayar Island.
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Eyewitness Deng Kulle, 44, spotted people waving their shirts as a sign for help while fishing near the site. Kulle decided to help evacuate them. Five victims were rescued and then moved to the Pasimarannu Police Station, Selayar.
All the ship's passengers were the residents of Jeneponto District.
On Saturday morning at 4 a.m. local time, after their ship was wrecked by waves, the victims used coconuts as buoys, but only five survived, while six others were still missing as of the afternoon of December 27.
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Translator: M Fatir, Kenzu
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
