SAR Team Expands Search Area for Victims of KMP Putri Yasmin Ship Fire

MATARAM - A joint SAR team has expanded the search area for five missing people after the KMP Putri Yasmin passenger ship caught fire in the waters of the Lombok Strait, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), to the third day today.

Head of the Mataram SAR Office, Muhamad Hariyadi, said based on the SAR Operation Plan (Renops) issued by the Mataram SAR Office, the search on Friday (14/8) was expanded by deploying three main Search and Rescue Units (SRU) which include the water sector to the air route.

"The search on the third day involves dividing the search area in a structured manner to optimize the search in the field," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, August 14.

The team deployed was SRU 1 deploying KN SAR 220 Mataram and SRU 2 using KAL Lembar for search in the waters, and SRU 3 by operating the Finns SGi Air Bali helicopter, to conduct monitoring and screening from the air to expand the visual range of the search.

"Entering the third day of the KMP Putri Yasmin SAR operation, we are deploying our maximum strength through the division of 3 SRU which includes scouring the sea surface using a fleet of ships and monitoring from the air using the Finns SGi Air Bali helicopter," he explained.

As of Thursday, August 13, the total number of victims who have been evacuated amounted to 212 people, with 211 people alive and 1 person dead.

The joint SAR team is now focusing on the search for five passengers who are reported to have still not been found.