KM Alif Berkah Runs Aground On Bokori Island, Southeast Sulawesi, 352 Passengers Successfully Evacuated

The Joint SAR Team during the evacuation process for ship passengers that ran aground in Konawe Waters, Southeast Sulawesi. (ANTARA)

The Kendari Basarnas SAR Team evacuated 352 passengers and crew members of the Alif Berkah Motor Ship (KM) which ran aground in the waters of Bokori Island, Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province (Sultra).

Head of the Search and Rescue Office (KPP) or Kendari Basarnas Amiruddin said that KM Alif Berkah reportedly ran aground, on Monday 9 June at around 18.32 WITA.

He conveyed that based on the report, there were ships containing 346 passengers and the six crew members ran aground while passing through the shallow waters around Bokori Island.

"At 18.50 WITA, the Kendari KPP Rescue Team was dispatched to the scene," Amuruddin said in his statement quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, June 10.

He said that when the SAR Team arrived at the location, his party immediately deployed the Pacitan SAR KN because the condition of the wooden ship passengers reached hundreds of people.

Amiruddin said the passenger evacuation process lasted quite a long time from 20.15 to 22.00 WITA for using a rubber boat to KN Pacitan.

"There is one passenger who needs further treatment who is mobilized by rubber boat to Kendari Basarnas Pier and then taken to Santa Anna Hospital Kendari for medical treatment," he explained.

Amiruddin said that after evacuating 345 passengers, KM SAR then headed to Kendari pier at around 22.30 WITA, while six AKB KM Alif Berkah 01 chose to stay because they were waiting for the tide so that their ship could be brought ashore.

"With the arrival of the Pacitan SAR KN ship at the Kendari Basarnas Pier, all ship passengers were safe," said Amiruddin.

In the operation, it also involved a team from Polairud Polda Sultra, Lanal Kendari, KSOP, KP3 Kendari, Tagana Sultra, and Kartana.

Meanwhile, one of the Ica passengers (20) admitted that before the incident, there was a sound of the hull of the ship as if it had hit something. This condition then made passengers panic because the water began to enter the hull of the ship.

"Passengers panicked until someone screamed, but we were told to stay where they were," said Ica.

He admitted that there were hundreds of passengers and dozens of motorbikes on board.

"There were passengers who sat on the roof of the ship," he said.

He admitted that according to the initial schedule, the ship was supposed to depart from Langara Harbor at 13.00 WITA afternoon. Normally, the estimated trip to Kendari is three hours.

However, the ship only departed at around 16.00 WITA without definite notification to passengers from the ship owner regarding the delay in departure.

"We don't know the reason why, but it seems because they load motorbikes too," he explained.