Tragedy In The Lusi Blora River: 8 MBS Santriwati Drowning While Looking For Shells, Four Still In Search

Illustrations - Joint SAR officers evacuated the drowning victim at the mouth of the Soge Beach, Pacitan, Saturday (5/4/2025) (Between/HO - Pacitan Police)

BLORA - Tragedy occurred in the Lusi River, Kedungjenar Village, Blora District, Thursday, December 11, at around 06.30 WIB.

Eight female students from Muhammadiyah Boarding School (MBS) Tahfidzul Qur'an Al Maa'uun Blora drowned while on the riverbank. Four of them are still being searched.

Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Blora Police, AKP Zaenul Arifin, explained that the incident began when the female students were on the banks of the river looking for shells.

"It is suspected that some of them slipped and were dragged by the river current which was quite heavy. Three female students managed to survive after being caught in a tree trunk," he said in Blora, Antara, Thursday, December 11.

A joint team from the Blora BPBD, Basarnas, TNI, Polri, and volunteers were then deployed to conduct a sweep. At around 13.00 WIB, the SAR team found one victim dead, about 100 meters from the initial location of the incident.

The search is still ongoing with rubber boats and manual dives. Strong current is the main obstacle for the team on the ground.

"We continue to do our best to find other victims. Please pray from the community so that everything is found immediately," said Arifin.

He also conveyed the chronology of the activities of the students before the incident. Previously, the children took the test, then played at the Ustaz house and took a leisurely walk with about 60 other students. Some of them headed for the banks of the Lusi River to play and find shells.

"Alhamdulillah, from the Al-Azhar side, said that some of the students were declared safe. These children used to play at Ustaz's house, and when the river water was small they often looked for shells," he said.

Arifin added that the activity to the river this time was carried out without the knowledge of the companion. "He only found out after the incident," he continued.

The location of the incident was crowded with the school, the victim's family, and the officers who monitored the search process. The SAR team is still combing the Lusi River to a radius of hundreds of meters to find four female students who have not been found.