Sinking Fishing Boat, TNI AL Deploys KRI Usman Harun And KRI Kerambit To Search For Victims

KRI Usman Harun was deployed to look for victims of the sinking fishing boat. (Doc. Wikipedia)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Navy has deployed two ships to assist in the search for a fishing boat that sank in the waters of West Kalimantan on Friday, July 16. The two ships assigned to this mission are KRI Usman Harun-359 and KRI Kerambit-627 in Search and Rescue (SAR) efforts.

The Joint SAR team is currently conducting a search and rescue for the crew members (ABK) who were declared missing in the accident of 14 fishing boats that sank due to bad weather on Tuesday, July 13 night and Wednesday, July 15 morning.

The Commander in Chief of Koarmada I, Rear Admiral TNI Abdul Rasyid K, SE., MM., said that his party did receive a report about the disappearance of the fishing boat. "The Indonesian Navy has deployed KRI Usman Harun-359 and KRI Kerambit-627 who are carrying out Sovereignty Patrols in the Natuna Sea after receiving reports that there have been accidents that have happened to 14 fishing boats in three locations simultaneously due to the impact of bad weather in West Kalimantan waters", he said.

Illustration. (Intermediate Doc)

The two KRIs are expected to be able to help search for fishermen whose ships sank due to bad weather. "The two KRIs joined other SAR potentials in a humanitarian mission to search for victims at the location of the sinking of the fishing boat", he continued.

As previously reported, bad weather resulted in 14 ships having accidents in West Kalimantan waters, 56 crew members were declared missing, four of them were found dead, and 81 crew members survived.

The Indonesian Navy was concerned and deployed its ships to assist in the search. "We are sorry for the calamity that befell our fishermen, hopefully, KRI Usman Harun-359 and KRI Kerambit-627 who are members of the Joint Search and Rescue Operations can immediately find the victims who are still missing", he said.

The effort to save the fishing boat is an implementation of the order from the leadership of the Navy, Chief of the Navy, Admiral Yudo Margono, who always emphasizes the ranks of the Navy. "The assistance carried out by the Navy is a form of utilizing all the potential of both personnel and defense equipment for humanitarian activities such as disaster management and SAR", concluded Commander Abdul.