2 Fishermen Victims Of Shipwreck In Australian Waters Returned To Rote

PHOTO VIA BETWEEN/Two fishermen who drowned in Australian waters arrived in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara Province before being sent back to their hometowns in Rote Ndao Regency, Wednesday. (Antara/Benny Jahang)

KUPANG - Two fishermen who survived the sinking of the Seahorse KM in Australian waters have been returned to Rote, Rote Ndao Regency, East Nusa Tenggara.

"The two fishermen who survived the sinking of the Seahorse KM on March 18, 2022, have been returned by the NTT Provincial Government through the NTT Provincial Fisheries and Marine Service to Rote Ndao," said the Head of Marine and Fishery Resources Supervision of the Marine and Fisheries Service (DKP) NTT province, Mery Foenay in Kupang reported by Antara, Wednesday, April 20.

The two fishermen from Rote Ndao Regency are Abel Kanuk and Melki Giri.

Both were repatriated to their hometowns in Rote Ndao at the government's expense through the Department of Fisheries and Marine Affairs of the Province of East Nusa Tenggara.

The sinking of the Seahorse KM in Australian waters on March 18, 2022, left nine crew members missing and three people safe.

Two of the three fishermen who have been repatriated to NTT while the other, Ricki Balu, is still receiving medical treatment in Darwin, Australia because he is still sick.

The two fishermen were repatriated to Kupang financed by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries after undergoing centralized quarantine at the Jakarta Athlete House.

"The two fishermen who were returned to Rote Ndao were picked up by the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Service (DKP) of Rote Ndao Regency and then returned to their respective families after arriving in Rote," said Foenay.

According to Foenay, the repatriation of the two fishermen from Australia to Jakarta is borne by the Australian government.