There are still victims who have not been found, the search operation for 17 victims of the Cantika Express 77 ship has been extended

SAR Team Kupang Class A Search and Rescue Office/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - Head of the Kupang Class A Search and Rescue Office, I Putu Sudayana, said the search for the 17 passengers missing in the burning of the Cantika Express 77 fast boat in Naikliu waters, Kupang Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province, was extended for three days.

"The search operation for the passengers of the Cantika Express 77 fast ship who has not been found has been extended for the next three days", said I Putu Sudayana, quoting Antara, Sunday, October 30.

The agreement to extend the search operation was decided in an evacuation meeting for SAR operations carried out by a joint SAR team which lasted for seven days from October 24-30, 2022 at the Kupang Basarnas Office led by the Head of the Class A Search and Rescue Office Kupang I Putu Sudayana.

The evaluation meeting which was attended by elements of the Navy, Ditpolairud, BPBD NTT, Jasa Raharja, KSOP Kupang was not attended by the Cantika Express Fast Boat fleet.

He said the search operation for the victims who were still declared missing lasted for three days starting from Monday, October 31 to Wednesday, November 2.

The search operation was carried out by a joint SAR team under the control of the Kupang Basarnas to search for 17 passengers who had not been found.

"The search focus is carried out by the SAR team to look for victims who have not been found, namely 17 people", said I Putu Sudayana.

According to data from the Kupang Basarnas, 362 passengers were found safe and 325 people died and 20 people died and 17 passengers were still missing.

He explained that the search operation for the 17 passengers who had not been found involved a joint SAR team with search locations around Semau Island and Kupang Bay.