Third Day Search SAR Team Finds Four Bodies Of KM Cahaya Arafah

The SAR team evacuates the drowned victims of KM Cahaya Arafah/Photo: Antara

TERNATE - The Ternate Basarnas Search and Rescue Office, North Maluku together with the joint SAR team found the bodies of the four victims of the sinking of KM Cahaya Arafah on a voyage on the Ternate-Gane Barat route, South Halmahera Regency. Cahaya Arafah who sank in the Tokaka waters is dead and one of them is a toddler," said Head of the Ternate Basarnas Fathur Rahman when contacted from Ternate, Wednesday, July 20. Hamima (69), from Dolik Gane Barat, Nurjae Ahmad (50), from Tokaka, and Rahman Amran (4), from Tokaka, South Halmahera Regency. He said the four victims consisted of three women and one man. The bodies were then evacuated to Tokaka Village. "Today, Wednesday, July 20, at around 13.30 WIT, four victims have been found and have been taken to Tokaka," he said. The joint SAR team is still searching for the other nine victims.

In that search, Basarnas together with the joint SAR team deployed 13 fleets with personnel and a team of divers. The 13 fleets were KN SAR 237 Pandudewanata, KP Gamalama, KAL Tidore, KRI Albakora, KN Elephant Sea, KN Sea Snake, KNP 358, Sea Rider Pandudewanata, South Halmahera/Bacan SAR Alert Unit Rubber Boat, community longboat, Palsar Evacuation, Medical Palsar, and Palsar Kom. The Cahaya Arafah Motorship reportedly sank because it was hit by high waves due to bad weather in the waters of Tokaka Island, South Halmahera, while sailing from Ternate to Gane Barat, Monday (18/7).