8 Ships Deployed To Search For Taiwanese Victims Of The KM Pari Kudus Accident

A joint team conducted a search for Taiwanese who were missing when the KM Pari Kudus ship capsized in the waters of Rambut Island, DKI Jakarta (ANTARA)

The joint team on Wednesday morning deployed eight ships to search for Taiwanese who were missing due to the capsized KM Pari Kudus ship in the waters of Rambut Island, Thousand Islands, DKI Jakarta Province, last Monday.

"We have started our search this morning at 06.45 WIB and the team is moving to find the whereabouts of this victim," said Head of the Operations Section (Kasiop) of the DKI Jakarta Basarnas Agung Priambodo as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, February 13.

He said the search this morning involved 58 personnel consisting of a search team and a team of divers. This search is the third day.

According to him, the search ships consisted of Basarnas, Navy, Polairud, Fire and Rescue Service (Gulkarmat) and other ships.

"Today we will expand the dive area and also search the waters and conduct a search on the ground for victims," he said.

He admitted that currently the waves are big enough so that it becomes an obstacle when conducting sweeps and diving. "Hopefully we can meet today the victim," he said.

A Taiwanese named Shi Yi was declared missing when the KM Pari Kudus ship capsized. The missing victim was wearing a gray t-shirt, black pants and black hat.

"This victim is about 40-45 years old and is still missing," he said.

Agung said the total passengers of the KM Pari Kudus ship that capsized on Rambut Island, Thousand Islands, were 35 people. "There was one person who was not included in the passenger manifest from the initial data and he survived," he said.

He explained that the 35 people consisted of 32 passengers plus three crew members who crossed from the Asha Resort on Payung Island, Thousand Islands, to Mutiara Beach, North Jakarta.

"One victim is still missing and 31 passengers and three crew members have been evacuated," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Thousand Islands Police, AKBP Jarot, stated that 10 foreign nationals were victims of the KM Pari Kudus ship which capsized by the waves while sailing from the Asha Resort of Payung Island, South Seribu Islands, to Mutiara Beach, North Jakarta.

"There are 10 foreign nationals and 22 Indonesians who are passengers on the ship that capsized due to high waves and strong winds," said AKBP Jarot.

He explained that the 10 foreigners consisted of five Chinese nationals, four Taiwanese and one Korean. "One victim is still missing, namely a Taiwanese citizen," he said.