Jakarta (ANTARA News)- An Indonesian migrant worker (TKI) who was repatriated along with thousands of others died on Saturday aboard the "Labobar" ship on its way from Jedda, Saudi Arabia, to Tanjung Priok, a manpower official said.

Imam Bukhori, an official at the Indonesian Workers Data Center of the National Agency for Placement and Protection of Indonesian Workers Overseas (BNP2TKI), said through an SMS text message on Monday that the dead passenger was named Musrifah binti Ahmad bin Qomar (50).

He said she died aboard the Labobar, a ship belonging to state-owned shipping line PT Pelni. Labobar had now arrived in Padang, West Sumatra.

He said Musrifah binti Ahmad bin Qomar died on Saturday because of an ailment she was suffering from. Musrifah came from RT 11/RW06, Sungai Bakau Darat village, Sungai Ponyo subdistrict, Pontianak, West Kalimantan.

She was in Jedda using an umroh (minor haj) visa and suffered from jaundice or hepatitis. "Her body will be flown to Pontianak after arriving in Jakarta," he said.

The Labobar left Jedda on Saturday (April 23) with 2,349 Indonesian migrant workers (TKI) who had overstayed their visas in the Middle Eastern country.

"We have had smooth and safe sailing so far," Imam Buchori said through an international telephone call from the ship.

Among the repatriating workers were 87 expectant women, 169 children and under-five-year-old infants. But since departure from Jedda, the repatriates had increased in number to 2,351 as two babies were born in the meantime.

Thus, the number of expectant women had dropped to 85 while the number of children and under-five-year-old had risen to 171.

Labobar, built in Germany in 2004 departed again on Monday night from Padang port and is expected to arrive at Tanjung priok port on Tuesday evening or on Wednesday.
(Uu.A014/HAJM)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011