Motorboat On The Sanana-Mangoli Route, North Maluku, Sank, 4 Passengers Died

TERNATE - The Ternate Search and Rescue (SAR) Office, North Maluku (Malut) reported that a motorboat for the route from Sanana Island to Mangoli Island with 19 people on board, sank in the waters of Mangoli, Sula Islands Regency. Four people died, 1 was missing and 14 people survived.

"Four people died, the joint SAR team is also searching for a female victim named Alia Fataruba who was declared missing during the sinking of the longboat on the Sanana-Mangoli route," said Head of the Operations and Alert Section of the Ternate SAR Office, Bram Madya in Ternate, as quoted by Antara, Monday, February 21.

The Sanana-Mangoli motor boat experienced an accident this Monday, resulting in four passengers, namely Marni Fokatea (51), Ismail Umasugi (47), Fataha Tauda and Hi. Udin Sapsuha (54) were found dead and another person named Alia Fataruba was missing and still in search.

Bram stated that in the incident of the sinking of the motorboat, the Sanana SAR Unit team together with the community at around 14.15 WIT arrived at the scene and assisted in the evacuation process and then conducted a search for one victim who had not been found.

The SAR team received a report that a motorboat carrying 19 people on the Sanana-Mangoli route had sunk due to being hit by sea waves.

At around 13:52 WIT, the joint SAR team headed to the location and immediately evacuated 14 survivors, 4 people died and one person was declared missing and the search is still ongoing.

"However, until 18.00 WIT, the SAR team had not found any victims and due to bad and unfriendly weather, the joint SAR team returned to Sanana. Tomorrow will continue the search for the missing female victim named Alia Fataruba.

Meanwhile, the Port Authority and Port Authority (KSOP) through the Class III Sanana Port Management Unit (UPP), Sula Islands (Kepsul) temporarily suspended shipping activities to and from the area, following bad weather in the last two days.

Head of the Sanana Class III Port Organizing Unit Office, Moh Faisal Alhabsji, stated that all inter-island ship activities carrying local, pioneering passengers are currently prohibited from operating.

According to him, the temporary suspension of shipping activities is to prevent loss of life and property at sea.

A number of shipping activities on Monday, February 21, especially for the Sanana-Ternate, Sanana-Labuha, Sanana-Taliabu, to Laiwui, Bitung and Manado routes were temporarily suspended.