The Search For 11 Missing Crew Members In The Indian Ocean Will Be Stopped

Illustration - Fishing boats docked at the Cilacap Ocean Fishing Port (PPSC). ANTARA/Sumarwoto

The chairman of the All-Indonesian Fishermen Association (HNSI) of Cilacap Regency, Sarjono, said that the search for eleven crew members (ABK) missing in the Indian Ocean would be stopped.

"The search seems to have been stopped because it has been seven days, meaning it has not been found and is still missing. According to the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure), the search for missing victims was carried out for seven days," he said in Cilacap, Central Java, as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, May 23.

In addition, he said, crew members from fishing boats involved in the search for 11 crew members of the Serba Prima 8 Motor Ship (KM) that caught fire in the Indian Ocean near the waters of Christmas Island, Australia, have also made optimal efforts.

The number of fishing boats around the scene and also conducted searches ranged from 28-29 units. During the search for victims of KM Serba Prima 8, he continued, the crew of the fishing boats did not work to catch fish.

"They also need to support their families at home. In one week no one operates, no one works, the focus is on searching for 11 KM Serba Prima 8 crew members," he explained.

Nevertheless, Sarjono said that his party had given an appeal through radio communication so that fishing boats that were still around the scene continued to monitor while working to catch fish.

According to him, this is still being done because until now 11 crew members of KM Serba Prima 8 have not been found and are still missing even though the search efforts have been stopped.

On behalf of HNSI, he apologized and mourned the families of the 11 missing crew members.

"Let's pray together, maybe there is a miracle, maybe there are commercial ships such as tankers that find the victims and take them abroad. If they are declared dead, they have found their bodies, if they have not been found, it means they are still missing," he said.

KM Serba Prima 8 is known to have departed from the Cilacap Ocean Fishing Port Pier (PPSC) on Wednesday (5/4) with 14 crew members including the captain to fish in the Indian Ocean.

However, while at 8.27 degrees south latitude and 105.19 degrees east longitude or near Christmas Island, Australia, on Tuesday (16/5), at around 23.15 WIB, KM Serba Prima 8 experienced a fire, so all crew members tried to extinguish it.

Because the flames had grown, all crew members jumped into the sea by holding a parachute buoy or floating anchor.

When the fire started to appear a bit extinguished on Wednesday (17/5), at around 04.00 WIB, two crew members broke away from their colleagues to swim after KM Serba Prima 8 and board the ship, while the other crew members were still holding the parachute.

Two crew members, known as Nur Hasim (36) and Hari Setiawan (38), both residents of Pemalang Regency, were rescued by KM Results Always 2 on Wednesday (17/5), at around 11.35 WIB, while passing around the KM Serba Prima 8 carcass on their way back to Cilacap.

KM Hasil Selalu 2 itu tiba di Dermaga PPSC pada hari Jumat (19/5), pukul 02.35 WIB, dan selanjutnya dua ABK KM Serba Prima 8 langsung diserahkan kepada pihak-pihak terkait untuk mendapatkan kelongan lebih lanjut.

Meanwhile, the captain of KM Serba Prima 8, known as Agus Setiawan, a few days before the fire, had asked the ship owner for permission to go home first because his wife was about to give birth.

Agus returned to Cilacap by riding another ship that is still one company and is about to return to PPSC Pier, then the wheel of KM Serba Prima 8 was held by the deputy captain on behalf of Teguh Santoso until the fire broke out.

Thus, the number of crew members who were declared missing due to the KM Serba Prima 8 fire was 11 people.