South Sulawesi Police Prepares DVI Command Post To Facilitate Identification Of Victims Of The Ladang Pertiwi 2 KM Sinking

Head of the Biddokes Division of the South Sulawesi Police, Kombes Yusuf M. gave a statement about the preparations for handling the victims of the sinking ship (Via ANTARA)

MAKASSAR - The South Sulawesi Police has prepared a forensic team by establishing a Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) post to identify if any victims of the Ladang Pertiwi 2 Motor Ship were found.

"We anticipate preparing a DVI team for the South Sulawesi Police. As a follow-up, we will open a command post at Paotere Port," said Head of the Biddokes Division of the South Sulawesi Police, Kombes Yusuf M, at the local port as reported by Antara, Sunday, May 29.

The duty of DVI is to identify the victims and facilitate the examination if it is found that the victim died in the ship accident.

"Our task is, among other things, to urge people with families, who feel lost and have not yet returned, to immediately report to the DVI post in Paotere Harbor," he also said.

In addition, the task of the DVI team in supporting identification, he said, required ante mortem data from the family. The data, for example, includes ID cards, diplomas with fingerprints, including relevant medical data, such as having had dental treatment.

The data is needed as ante mortem data from the family.

"In this case, we need the data to reconcile if a victim dies. That is the first action. The DVI team consists of 26 personnel with the division of an ante mortem team, a post mortem team and a reconciliation team," said Kombes Yusuf explaining.

When asked whether DVI would prepare body bags for the victims who were found dead, Yusuf said that his party always prepared equipment related to this disaster.

"The worst possibility is if for example there is a victim (died), post mortem is prepared. Including body bags and identification places, we have prepared them at the Biddokkes Forensic Installation of Bhayangkara Hospital, we are ready there," he also said.

As for the ante mortem, the data of the victim when the victim is still alive, must be prepared, which means that data is obtained from the family. While post mortem is the examination of corpses or bodies that have been found to be matched with ante mortem data.

"But, good luck to all. If there is, for example, the second, third day and the post mortem data that we did were identified. The results of the identification of the ante mortem and post mortem data, we reconciled, we checked, it could be based on dental data, and fingerprints ' he explained again.

After all inspections are completed and identified, then after that it is handed over to the family. The ante mortem data has not yet been received by the South Sulawesi Regional Police DVI team.

"So far there is no (ante mortem data). Therefore, we disseminate information to families who have reported boarding a ship and have not returned. Now, we also need property data and reconciliation data," he also said.

Previously, KM Ladang Pertiwi 2 departed from Paotere People's Harbor on Wednesday, May 25. This ship will go to several islands, namely Monitoring Island, Masalima Island, Salirian Island, Pamalikan Island.

The ship reportedly sank on Thursday at around 03.30 WITA in the Makassar strait, and only learned from information on Friday at 13.00 WITA. This wooden ship is reported to have carried 42 passengers, 17 of whom were declared safe, 25 others are still being sought.

However, temporary data from various sources that entered the main post at Paotere Port recorded 60 passengers.