"I have received information that the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya was found upside down," Purwagandhi noted in a written statement received in Jakarta on Monday.
The minister commended the joint SAR team for its diligent work over the approximately 10 days spent searching for the ship and the victims of the incident.
After locating the ship, he said, the joint SAR team will plan the ship's recovery, prioritizing safety due to the strong undercurrents in the Bali Strait.
He noted that the ship's recovery process will follow strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure the team's safety.
"We hope the ship's recovery process will run smoothly and facilitate further investigation," Purwagandhi remarked.
A joint SAR team successfully located and visualized the wreck of KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya, capsized on the Bali Strait seabed on Saturday, July 12.
Deputy for Search and Rescue Operations and Preparedness at Basarnas, Ribut Eko Suyatno, stated that the Marine Search and Rescue Unit (SRU) team conducted an underwater SAR operation and obtained a visual confirmation of KMP Tunu's position at reference point eight.
"Thank God, the Marine SRU team used an underwater camera and obtained a visual of the object (KMP Tunu) capsized, and the ship's name was also listed," Suyatno stated at a press conference at Ketapang Port, Banyuwangi, East Java, on Saturday.
As of Saturday evening, figures released by the Joint SAR Operations Post and SAR Potential at Ketapang Port, Banyuwangi, reported 30 survivors and 18 deceased victims, three of whom are awaiting identification. Some 17 people remain missing, with search operations continuing.
The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya, carrying 53 passengers, 12 crew members, and 22 vehicles, sank on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
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Translator: Arie Novarina
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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