KM Ladang Pertiwi Which Sank In The Makassar Strait Does Not Have A Passenger Permit, 25 People Are Still Missing

A number of KM Ladang Pertiwi passengers who survived after the ship they were traveling in sank in the waters of the Makassar Strait arrived at Parappa Pier, Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi, Saturday (28/5/2022). ANTARA/HO/Sulsel Basarnas Documentation.

MAKASSAR - The Port Authority of Paotere People's Port, Makassar, South Sulawesi, stated that KM Ladang Pertiwi, which sank in the waters of the Makassar Strait, did not have a passenger shipping permit. The ship only has a fishing permit.

"As for the status of the ship, it's a fishing boat, and not a cargo or passenger ship," said Coordinator of the Makassar Paotere Syahbandar Pos, Nufrizal, quoted by Antara, Saturday, May 28.

The mechanism for obtaining a sailing permit must obtain approval from the Fisheries Syahbandar, under the auspices of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), so that his party does not know for sure the permit owned by the ship owner.

"For the sailing approval permit (is issued) at the fishing port," he said.

The wooden ship KM Ladang Pertiwi, continued Nufrizal, did not report its arrival when it docked at the Paotere People's Harbor, nor when it departed carrying goods and passengers, until it sank in the Makassar Strait waters on Friday (27/5).

"This ship never reported its arrival, as well as when it departed it did not report during its activities here. There was never a report. Regarding the passengers on the ship, we don't know," said Nufrizal.

In addition, the harbormaster of Pos Paotere has issued a warning on May 26-27 2022 to ship owners considering the bad weather occurred for the two days according to the local BMKG forecast.

"The data is there, because since May 25 and May 26, no sailing permit has been issued from the Post, as well as on May 27. A sailing ban has been issued due to extreme weather," he said.

Previously, the KM Ladang Pertiwi carried dozens of passengers who were reported to have had a sea accident in the Makassar Strait, on Thursday (26/5), after departing from the Paotere People's Port, Makassar City, to Liukang Kalmas Island, Pangkajene Islands Regency (Pangkep) on Wednesday (25/5). /5).

From the information received, there were 42 passengers on the ship, 17 of whom were declared safe after being helped by three ships, namely the TB Sabang, TB Max and TB Cipta Ships on Friday (27/5) while crossing the scene.

Head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) of South Sulawesi, Djunaidi said, for current developments, as many as 17 people have been declared safe, the remaining 25 passengers are still being searched at the point where the ship sank.

"Tonight we will stop the search for a while, and tomorrow we will continue with a search at the location. From that incident, 17 people have been declared safe, the rest are still being searched," said Djunaidi.