Four still missing Bengkalis boat accident<\/p>\n
Haidir Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Riau<\/p>\n
At least six more bodies were found after an overloaded,
\ntraditional boat sank in Tanjung Semak waters off Topang island,
\nBengkalis regency, Riau, bringing the death toll to 13 people,
\nrescuers said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Rescue workers and security officers were searching for at
\nleast four other passengers still missing after the incident on
\nMonday night.<\/p>\n
Search and rescue (SAR) team leader M. Siregar, who is also
\nthe Selatpanjang sea security unit commander in Bengkalis, said
\nat least 41 people were rescued and had returned home.<\/p>\n
He said the six bodies, discovered in Tanjung Samak waters,
\nwere decomposing and had been handed over to local villagers for
\nidentification.<\/p>\n
\"Our team purely carried out its job of recovering the bodies
\nfrom the sea. The victims were subsequently dealt with by a
\nmedical team from Rangsang subdistrict,\" Siregar said.<\/p>\n
He said the rescuers, using four Navy patrol boats, were
\nfacing difficulty in their efforts to search for the four missing
\npassengers due to bad weather in the Malaka Strait.<\/p>\n
\"The bad weather and strong waves in the sea made it difficult
\nfor the SAR team in their rescue efforts,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In addition, many white crocodiles have appeared in the waters
\nwhere rescuers were searching for the missing victims, Siregar
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The crocodiles' appearance was believed to have been prompted
\nby the human bodies floating near the scene of the mishap, he
\nadded. \"We clearly saw white crocodiles there. They are one of
\nthe hazards we are facing in the field.\"<\/p>\n
Tropical reptiles such as these were normally very rarely seen
\nby local people, said Siregar.<\/p>\n
\"However, none of the 13 bodies found so far shows signs of
\ncrocodile bites,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Bengkalis Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Slamet Rianto
\nblamed the capsize of the small wooden boat on overloading and
\nbad weather as the wind was strong when it capsized.<\/p>\n
\"The boat was designed to carry a maximum of only 40
\npassengers but the total on the fateful voyage was at least 58
\npeople, including crew members,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The boat's captain, Subari, is in detention at the Tebing
\nTinggi subdistrict police station in Selatpanjang, Antara
\nreported.<\/p>\n
Rianto said the 13 dead were identified as Kateni, 42,
\nMukayat, 65, Prima, 6, Yana, 13, Din, 30, Irwan, 30, Karim, alias
\nMualim, 56, Khohiri, 23, Sairi, 30, Saimin, 60, Yari Harta, 65,
\nSugianto, 56, and Kusna, 65.<\/p>\n
All were residents of Tanjung Samak village.<\/p>\n
In a similar incident, two cargo ships collided in the Bangka
\nStrait off South Sumatra on Tuesday, leaving at least four
\nsailors missing, feared drowned.<\/p>\n
It was not clear on Thursday whether or not the victims had
\nbeen discovered.<\/p>\n
The four were reportedly part of a 28-man crew on the
\nIndonesian-flagged cargo vessel KM Pagarruyung, which collided
\nwith a Liberian freighter.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/four-still-missing-bengkalis-boat-accident-1447893297",
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