The joint Search and Rescue (SAR) team widened the sweep to a radius of up to 5.25 nautical miles from the site of the accident, according to Fathur Rahman, head of the Maumere SAR office, who spoke from Labuan Bajo.
The operation marked the third day of efforts since Friday, December 26, when the accident occurred in waters within Komodo National Park, a popular destination in eastern Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province.
Earlier, rescuers evacuated seven of the 11 people aboard the tourist vessel KM Putri Sakinah, which sank on Friday night near Padar Island.
Rahman said multiple assets were deployed, including rigid inflatable boats from the West Manggarai SAR post, patrol vessels from the Labuan Bajo port authority, marine police units, the Indonesian Navy base in Labuan Bajo, and a fast patrol craft operated by the sea and coast guard.
He added that the SAR vessel KN SAR Puntadewa, carrying 27 rescuers and support personnel from the Maumere SAR office, was en route to reinforce the search operation.
The vessel was expected to arrive in Labuan Bajo at around 8:30 p.m. local time, he said.
“All SAR teams are continuing intensive search efforts today. We hope this third day will bring results,” Rahman said.
During the second day of the search, rescuers found debris from the boat about five nautical miles from the accident site, including a gas cylinder, fragments of the hull, and part of the captain’s cabin.
Search teams continued to use several patrol and rescue boats to comb the waters north of Padar Island from morning until 6:00 p.m. local time.
Authorities said the search would resume the following day if the missing victims were not found.
Rahman noted that operations were hampered by waves measuring between 0.25 and 1.5 meters, strong currents, and heavy rain that reduced visibility.
“Despite these obstacles, the joint SAR team remains committed and motivated,” he said.
Further verification of the passenger manifest confirmed that the four missing Spaniards were members of the same family: a father and three children.
Two other Spanish nationals who survived and were evacuated on Friday night were identified as the mother and one child.
The remaining survivors included four crew members, among them the boat’s captain, and a tour guide.
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Translator: Gecio Viana, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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