KSOP Batam Rescues 9 Crew of MV Golden Star 1 that Sank

BATAM - The Office of the Special City and Port Authority (KSOP) of Batam, Riau Islands, rescued nine crew members of the MV Golden Star 1 which sank in the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) area of the Malacca Strait-Singapore Strait on Friday (5/6) evening.

Head of the Batam Special KSOP M. Takwim Masuku said his party received information about the emergency conditions experienced by the ship at around 21.30 WIB and immediately deployed naval patrols to carry out rescue operations.

"Following up on this information, the Batam Special KSOP marine patrol element with the State Ship KN P-376 immediately moved to the location to carry out a rescue operation for the crew," said Takwim as reported by ANTARA, Saturday, June 6.

Based on the initial report, the MV Golden Star 1 sank in the TSS area of the Malacca Strait and the Singapore Strait with a load of 107 containers.

During the operation, the entire crew of nine people was successfully evacuated by KN P-376 in a safe condition.

After the rescue process was completed, the crew members were taken to the Bintang 99 Pier, Batu Ampar, to undergo a health examination by the Batam Health Quarantine Agency (BBKK) team.

"After that, the victims were handed over to the Directorate of Water and Air Police (Polairud) of the Barelang Police to undergo further health examinations at the Bhayangkara Hospital of the Riau Islands Police," said Takwim.

Apart from evacuating, KSOP Batam together with related agencies also carried out a number of handling steps.

"We are monitoring the condition of the waters around the location of the incident, collecting initial data for the purpose of investigation, and coordinating across agencies to anticipate the possible impacts of the sinking of the ship and its cargo," he said.

Meanwhile, the Batam Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) also broadcast navigation warnings periodically through the VHF maritime communication channel 16 to maintain the safety of navigation around the incident location.

Takwim emphasized the safety of the crew as the main priority in handling the incident.

Until now, he continued, the cause of the sinking of the ship and the further impact on shipping and the maritime environment is still in the process of being deepened by the parties concerned.

"KSOP Khusus Batam continues to monitor the development of the situation and coordinates with related agencies to ensure the safety and security of shipping and the protection of the marine environment in the waters of Batam and its surroundings," he said.