Hit By Waves, Speedboat Drowns On Manipa Island, West Seram Kills 8 People

Members of the SAR team were received by one of the families of the victims of the speedboat sinking in the waters of Manipa Island, West Seram Regency, Friday (3/1). ANTARA/HO-Basarnas Ambon

AMBON - The Ambon Basarnas Search and Rescue Office, Maluku, said the speedboat with 28 passengers who drowned around the waters of Manipa Island, West Seram Regency, killed eight people suspected of being hit by high waves.

"The speedboat was reported to have had a sea accident at around 10:00 WIT around the waters of Tanjung Samala, Kelang Island," said Head of the Ambon Basarnas Search and Rescue Office Muhamad Arafah as reported by ANTARA, Friday, January 3.

Initially, at around 14.00 WIT, the Ambon BasarnasCom Center received information from NyRiska that at around 10.00 WIT one speedboat unit with 28 passengers drowned around the waters.

Then at 14.25 WIT the Namlea SAR Post and joint elements were deployed to the scene with a distance of approximately 22 NM east of Namlea Pier.

At around 16.05 WIT The Ambon Basarnas Comm Center received information from the Namlea SAR Post Coordinator that all victims had been successfully evacuated by the surrounding community with the condition of the 20 victims reportedly safe and eight others died.

"The speedboat with 28 passengers is known to have departed from Kelang Island in West Seram Regency to Ambon City," he said.

On the way back to the waters of Tanjung Samala, it was suspected that the high-speed wave had sunk.

The victims who died were an eight-year-old boy named Fadila Kadila, then Andriyanto (46), Ika Yulianti Pamana (32), Naima, Yanti, Fatrin, Putri, and Nurul Alamsyah.

While the survivors were Serda Laharyanto, Ikbal Makatita, Sapril Duila, Loni Umagapi, Alham Lesilawang, Junaid Lesilawang, Warnia, Waranti, Ai, Pardin, Arjun, Bambang, Moa, Fitry, Sinen, Sudin, La Dini, Tizan, Sahrul, and Sarida.