Makassar Fire Department Sends Special Personnel To Help Search For Victims Of The Drowned KM Ladang Pertiwi

Head of the Makassar City Fire Department (Damkar), Muhammad Hasanuddin (center) leads a meeting to assign divers competency personnel to assist in the search for missing victims.

MAKASSAR - The Makassar City Fire Department (Damkar), South Sulawesi, has sent four special personnel to assist in the search for 11 victims who are still missing after the sinking of KM Ladang Pertiwi 2 in the Makassar Strait.

"The rescue personnel assigned to join the KN Kamajaya Basarnas as many as four people, with the competence to carry out rescues in the waters," said Makassar Fire Chief Muhammad Hasanuddin as quoted by Antara, Monday, May 30.

The assigned personnel will join the joint Search and Rescue (SAR) team using the Basarnas ship to participate in SAR operations in the Makassar Strait around the waters of Kalmas District, Pangkajene Islands Regency (Pangkep).

"The length of the operation is planned for three days and can be extended according to the needs in the field," said Hasanuddin.

In addition to Basarnas, the search for victims also involved a team of personnel from the Indonesian National Police using military equipment from the Navy, Air Force helicopters, and the Polairud ship. On the third day of the search, no dead victims were found.

Previously reported, KM Ladang Pertiwi 02 carrying 42 people departed from Paotere People's Harbor on Wednesday (25/5). This ship will go to several islands, namely Pemantawan Island, Masalima Island, Salirian Island, and Pamalikan Island.

The ship reportedly sank on Thursday (26/5) 03.30 WITA in the Makassar Strait. On the third day of the SAR operation, 31 people were declared safe, and 11 others were still being sought.

Apart from carrying passengers, the ship is also suspected of carrying other heavy goods so that the ship is over capacity when it is hit by waves in extreme weather conditions.