By Tuesday morning, a Search and Rescue (SAR) team found 24 bodies of passengers of KM Martasiah that capsized in the waters at around 12.00 local time the day before.
Coordinator of the SAR team Rusliansyah said 10 of the bodies were recovered on Monday. A total of 73 people escaped the mishap.
Rusliansyah said he did not know the exact number of passengers as no manifest was available.
"If KM Martasiah carried 105 passengers, five more people are still missing. But if the number of passengers was 100, all the drowned passengers have been recovered," he said.
Most of the 27 passengers suffocated to death, he said.
The SAR team fielded eight divers to search for the bodies until the seabed, he said.
He said he did not know exactly when the search would be stopped, adding that the SAR team would continue the search around the scene in Tanjung Dewa waters.
The KM Martasiah left Panjang port in Kotabaru on Monday at around 10 am local time and capsized at around 12.00 hours or around 1.5 to 2 hours after sailing. The vessel which also carried goods including motorcycles, basic necessaries and household stuff for sales in Geronggang market capsized after being hit by strong winds and high waves.
(Uu.S012/HAJM/S012)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
