"The boat was reported to have sunk between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. local time due to waves reaching four meters in height," Transportation Ministry's Sea Transportation Director General Muhammad Masyhud remarked.
According to the Sikakap Fishing Port Authority, all 18 people on board survived the accident and were evacuated to Tuapeijat, the capital of Mentawai Islands District, he remarked.
"They were evacuated to Tuapeijat Port using the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) vessel," Masyhud remarked.
The wooden boat departed the Sikakap fishing port for Tuapeijat at 7 a.m. local time on Monday. After sailing for about four hours, the boat was struck by high waves in the Sipora Strait, causing it to capsize.
Local authorities then launched a search and rescue mission involving rescuers from the Basarnas, navy, and police, as well as the Sikakap Port officials, in addition to local fishermen, he remarked.
Meanwhile, the Mentawai Islands Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) confirmed earlier that all 18 people aboard the sunken speedboat survived.
Of the 18 survivors, seven made it to the nearest island on Monday, while 11 others were reported missing at sea but were found alive by rescuers on Tuesday, the agency's acting head, Lahmuddin Siregar, stated.
Rescuers evacuated the survivors from the coasts of the hamlets of Guluk-Guluk, Mapinang, and Mangaungau. Most survivors were exhausted, having swum for hours using life rings to reach the nearest coasts.
The rescuers found the last survivor in Mangaungau Hamlet, he remarked, adding that the evacuees are in dire need of medical treatment and will be sent to a hospital upon arrival in Tuapeijat.
Tuapeijat is about a 3.5-hour boat trip by vessel from where the 11 survivors were evacuated, he remarked.
Translator: M.Harianto, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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