Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) said items recovered during the operation included a life jacket and parts of the upper structure of KM Putri Sakinah, the boat that sank in waters off Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara.
The coordinator of the West Manggarai SAR Post, Edy Suryono, told reporters in Labuan Bajo on Sunday that the items were found south of the accident site and had been confirmed by the ship’s captain as belonging to the vessel.
“South of the incident location, we found a life jacket from the ship and debris from its upper structure, which has been verified with the captain,” Suryono said.
The four people still missing are a Spanish father and his three children, according to Basarnas. They were among 11 people aboard the tourist boat when it sank near Padar Island on Friday, December 26.
Since Sunday morning, joint search teams have been sweeping an expanded area, covering up to nine nautical miles south and five nautical miles north of the sinking site.
Six professional divers have also been deployed to search underwater around Padar Island, a popular tourist destination within Komodo National Park.
Related news: Search expanded for four Spaniards missing in Indonesia boat sinking
Suryono said rescuers were coordinating with residents and fishermen from nearby islands, including Messah and Papagarang, to help scan surrounding waters for any sign of the missing victims.
On the fourth day of operations, the SAR team plans to further widen the search perimeter while continuing coordination with fishing boats operating in the area, he added.
Earlier in the operation, on the second day of the search, rescuers recovered additional debris about five nautical miles from the accident site, including a gas cylinder and other parts of the vessel.
Basarnas Maumere head Fathur Rahman said efforts to locate the four Spanish nationals were continuing around the clock, despite difficult weather and sea conditions.
So far, the joint SAR team has evacuated seven of the 11 people who were on board KM Putri Sakinah. Two of those rescued are Spanish nationals — the wife of the missing father and another child — while the remaining survivors include Indonesian crew members.
Rahman said the operation has been hampered by waves of up to 1.5 metres, strong currents around Padar Island and heavy rain that has reduced visibility, but stressed that search teams remain fully committed to finding the missing victims.
Related news: Search underway for four Spanish tourists after Labuan Bajo boat sinks
Translator: Gecio Viana, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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