PT Aksa Employee Missing Buka Jalan in Berau Forest Missing, SAR Finds Traces of Victim's Bivak

JAKARTA - The joint SAR team is still searching for a PT Aksa worker who went missing while pioneering the construction of a road in the forest in the Batu Rajang Village area, Segah District, Berau Regency, East Kalimantan (Kaltim).

The missing victim was named Kanisius Sengkam, 25 years old, domiciled at Camp PT Inhutani, Kilometer 29, Batu Rajang Village.

"The incident occurred when the victim opened a path in a forest area with heavy terrain and limited access on Friday, February 6," said Berau Regency SAR Standby Unit Coordinator Ari Triyanto in Segah, Wednesday, quoted by Antara.

From the trail that was followed, he said, his party found a bivouac or temporary shelter in the form of a broken forest plant allegedly made by the victim. The police suspect that the victim did not carry sharp weapons such as machetes, knives, and the like.

On the third day of the search operation since Kanisius was reported missing on Monday, February 9, Ari said today's operation focused on the location of the victim's former bivouac, which was found the previous day.

The search area is set with a radius of three kilometers or an area of about 37 km², which is divided into several sectors based on the coordinates that have been determined. This step is done to narrow down the search area in the forest terrain which is quite difficult.

In this operation, he said, the joint SAR team deployed a Rescue Car D-Max Basarnas, a bulldozer owned by PT Aksa, plus communication and medical equipment.

Meanwhile, the combined elements involved include the USS Berau Team, the Berau Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the Segah Police, the company, and the victim's family.

The main obstacle faced in the field, he said, was access to the location which could only be reached using heavy equipment, coupled with rainy weather conditions.

"However, the joint SAR team is still trying its best to continue the search. We also urge the public to immediately report if they find information related to the whereabouts of the victim," said Ari.