KSOP: KMP Yunicee Was Swept Away By High Currents And Waves

A number of passengers of KMP Yunicee who survived and were accommodated in the waiting room of Ketapang Port, Banyuwangi, East Java, Tuesday (29/6/2021) night. (ANTARA/HO-Novi H.)

JAKARTA - Head of the Class III Port Authority and Port Authority (KSOP) Office of Tanjung Wangi, Banyuwangi, Marine Lieutenant Colonel Benyamin Ginting said KMP Yunicee was suspected of being dragged by sea currents and four meters high waves and then drowned.

"Earlier we were looking for victims at sea, the high waves reached three to four meters, this possibility (the waves) dragged the ship and sank," said Marine Lt. Col. Benjamin Ginting to reporters at Ketapang Port, Banyuwangi, East Java, as reported by Antara, Tuesday, June 29 at midnight.

He said that while conducting a joint search with other joint SAR teams, his party also evacuated the crew, namely the head of the engine room of KMP Yunicee, who was tossed around in the middle of the Bali Strait.

From the head of the engine room, he continued, information was obtained that all ship passengers were confirmed to be wearing life jackets. So, said Ginting, it is very likely that the 14 passengers who have not been found can survive.

"In our search, we found the head of the engine room and conveyed that all passengers were wearing life jackets. It is very likely that they could still be found alive, although six passengers were found dead," he said.

The head of the engine room of KMP Yunicee, who was found safe, also said that before the ship sank, it was dragged by sea currents and high waves to the south of Gilimanuk Harbor.

"The head of the engine room explained to us that the ship that was parked and waiting in line was swept away by the current. Because the waves were big, the engine's capability could not keep up with the height of the waves and was dragged away. About five minutes the ship tilted and sank to the left side," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of Service Unit at the Land Transportation Management Agency (BPTD) XI East Java Rocky Surentu said KMP Yunicee was still feasible and from the manifest there were no allegations of overloading.

"In Ketapang the condition of the waves is not high, and in the middle (Bali Strait) the waves are high. Regarding the cargo of the ship, it is also appropriate," he said.

The Passenger Motor Ship (KMP) Yunicee carried 41 passengers and 12 crew members (ABK) from Ketapang Port, Banyuwangi, to Gilimanuk Port, Jembrana, Bali.

Of the 53 passengers including crew members, as of Tuesday, June 29 evening, six victims were found dead, 33 passengers were found safe, and 14 others were still being searched.