Broken Steering, One Longboat Runs Aground On Tupu-Tupu Island, North Halmahera, 24 Passengers Are Successfully Rescued

SAR officers evacuate 24 ship passengers who had an accident in the waters of Tupu-Tupu Island/Via ANTARA

TERNATE - One longboat crashed in the waters of Tupu-Tupu Island on its way from the Tobelo area in North Halmahera to East Halmahera, North Maluku Province. All passengers are reported to be safe.

Officers of the Ternate Search and Rescue Office of the Tobelo Unit said the accident occurred on Thursday, August 4 this morning. His party has evacuated 24 passengers on the ship.

"All passengers are safe," said Head of the Ternate Search and Rescue Office, Fathur Rahman, quoted from Antara.

According to him, SAR officers evacuated the passengers of the ill-fated ship about one nautical mile from the crash site and took them to the port of Tobelo. The incident was allegedly caused by a broken steering wheel while in the waters of Tupu-Tupu Island.

SAR officers and all ship passengers arrived at the Tobelo port at around 10.20 WIT. The SAR officers then re-recorded the ship's 24 passengers.

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Fathur explained that the Tobelo SAR Post received a report regarding a shipwreck carrying 24 passengers on Thursday at 09.10 WIT. The ship on the East Tobelo-Halmahera route was reported to have broken its rudder at 07.45 WIT while in the waters of Tupu-Tupu Island.

Using a ship, the Tobelo SAR Post rescue team together with the Water Police at 09.20 WIT moved to the scene of the accident and evacuated all the ship's passengers.