Drop Tears, Head Of The Kupang Basarnas Sorry When Closing Search Operation 17 Victims Of Cantika Express 77

A victim's family signed the minutes of closing the SAR operation to search 17 missing/ANTARA victims

The joint SAR team officially stopped the search and rescue operation for 17 passengers who were missing in the burning of the Cantika Express 77 Fast Ship in the waters of Naikliu, Kupang Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province. "After 10 days of searching operations for the 17 passengers who were reported missing, the results remained nil so that according to the results of the coordination meeting, the SAR operation was officially closed," said Head of the Kupang Class A Search and Rescue Office I Putu Sudayana at the closure of the Cantika Express 77 Fast Ship SAR operation in Kupang, Antara, Wednesday, November 2. While crying, I Putu Sudayana apologized to the families of the victims who were present at the event because they had not been able to find 17 passengers. The Kupang Basarnas together with the potential for SAR from elements of the TNI/Polri as well as BPBD and KSOP Kupang and Bakamla as well as fishermen have been very optimal in conducting searches for 10 days by deploying all teams and facilities owned by Basarnas to look for victims. However, to this day the results are still nil, there are no signs of a victim being found. "We apologize to the families of the victims for not being able to find the 17 passengers who are still missing," said I Putu Sudayana in tears. According to him, during the search operation, the Kupang Basarnas deployed KN Antareja to search for a radius of 20 nautical miles from the location of the burning of the Cantika Express 77 Fast Ship, but did not find the victim who was reported missing. In addition, he said, the SAR team and the fishermen were also searching by combing the coastal areas in Naikliu and Barate as well as not finding missing victims. "After an evaluation of all related parties, the SAR operation was closed. We apologize to all the families of the victims. We are sorry for this incident," said I Putu Sudanyana. According to him, Basarnas Kupang has asked fishermen in Kupang Regency if they find signs of a victim being found to inform Basarnas for evacuation and search. He explained that the verified passenger data participating in the Cantika Express 77 Fast Ship reached 360 people consisting of 323 survivors and 20 deaths and 17 were declared missing.