SAR Deploys 4 Teams, Searching For 13 Passengers Of KM Cahaya Arafah Who Disappeared In Tokaka Waters, Maluku

SAR team via Antara

MALUT - Basarnas Ternate dispatched a joint SAR team to resume operations on the second day of the search for 13 victims of the passenger ship KM Cahaya Arafah who were declared missing.

"This second day, the joint team is still focused on searching for victims who have drowned in the waters of Tokaka Island, South Halmahera Regency (Halsel)," said Head of the Ternate Basarnas Fathur Rahman in Ternate, North Maluku (Malut), Tuesday 19 July.

He stated that the search began at 07.30 WIT and the joint SAR team divided the SRU and conducted searches in their respective areas that had been created and planned.

SRU 1 conducted a search of 8.7 Nm from LKP using Sea Rider KN Pandudewanata, SRU 2 conducted a search of 11.6 Nm from LK using a rubber boat from the Bacan SAR Alert Unit.

Furthermore, SRU 3 conducted a search of 9.7 Nm wide from LK using a speed boat from the Halsel BPBD, and SRU 4 conducted a search of 15 Nm in the coastal waters of Tokaka village using a community longboat.

According to the initial manifest report, there were a total of 76 POB people on board the KM Cahaya Arafah ship. However, after being recorded again, there are 77 people and 64 have been found safe, and the remaining 13 people are still being searched.

Based on an Antara report, KM Cahaya Arafah was previously reported to have sunk in the waters of Tokaka Island, South Halmahera while sailing from Ternate to West Gane on Monday, July 18.

In the search, a number of elements were involved including the Ternate Basarnas, Polda Malut Polda, North Maluku Provincial BPBD, Halsel BPBD, Bacan Navy Post, Tokaka Police and the local community.

Meanwhile, the Port Authority and Port Authority (KSOP) Office of Ternate City stated that the KM Cahaya Arafah ship on the Ternate-South Halmahera route carrying 66 passengers sank in Tokaka Waters, West Gane.

KM Cahaya Arafah departed from Bastiong Ternate Harbor on Monday, July 18 at around 08.30 WIT before the letter of delay in shipping activities was issued by KSOP and at 18.12 WIT and was informed that it sank in Tokaka Waters, South Halmahera Island due to being hit by sea waves.

Head of Ternate Class II KSOP Port, Agustinus, confirmed that according to the manifest of passengers and crew there were 66 people with 21 tons of goods transported and the weather conditions on departure from Ternate to their destination were very bright and not bumpy.

The ship departed from Ternate to South Halmahera at 8.30 WIT and sank at around 18.12 WIT in the waters of Samo Village towards Tokaka.

The information obtained was that the sinking of the ship was due to weather due to being hit by sea waves and currently being confirmed with UPP Babang and Wilker Saketa regarding passengers who were rescued or declared missing.