More passengers rescued, 51 feared dead after sinking<\/p>\n
MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): Fishermen rescued five more
\npassengers from the KM Restu Illahi, which sank on May 27, who
\nhad miraculously survived after floating in the water for eight
\ndays.<\/p>\n
The latest rescues increase the number of survivors to 42, but
\ndoes little to increase hope for the survival of the 51
\npassengers who are still missing, especially as no concerted
\nrescue effort has been launched since the tragedy struck over a
\nweek ago.<\/p>\n
\"The five passengers were rescued by fishermen in the waters
\noff Pakbusuang, Polmas regency,\" Majene port administrator Albar
\nYahya told The Jakarta Post on Monday.<\/p>\n
Albar did not identified the five survivors, saying only that
\ntheir condition was \"deteriorating\" due to the ordeal they had
\nexperienced over the past week.<\/p>\n
The four-ton ship, plying the Majene to Kotabaru (South
\nKalimantan) route, was carrying 84 passengers and nine crew
\nmembers.<\/p>\n
The ship sank off Majene, some 300 kilometers south of the
\nSouth Sulawesi capital of Makassar. Most of the passengers were
\ninterisland traders who were traveling along with their
\nmerchandise, such as coconuts and rice.<\/p>\n
The vessel left Palipi port on May 26 and sank the next night
\nafter reportedly been dashed by floating logs during a storm in
\nMakassar bay.<\/p>\n
Despite the rescue of the five survivors, locals were
\npessimistic about the fate of the other 51 missing passengers and
\ncrew.<\/p>\n
Fishermen in Majene said their chances of survival were fast
\nfading as Tuesday would be the ninth day that they would have had
\nto survive in the water under atrocious weather conditions.<\/p>\n
\"It would be very hard to stay alive under such conditions,\"
\nAlbar remarked.<\/p>\n
The hope of further survivors has also been dimmed by the fact
\nthat no search and rescue team has been dispatched to conduct a
\ncredible search effort since the ship foundered.<\/p>\n
Only limited search efforts have been undertaken by the local
\nport administration and fishermen who happened to be in the
\nvicinity of where the ship went down.<\/p>\n
\"We'll keep on monitoring and communicating via radio with
\nfishermen passing through the sector,\" Albar said.<\/p>\n
Damage<\/p>\n
Separately, a duty staff officer of the Makassar Search and
\nRescue team, Ali Staf, said that the team could not be dispatched
\nas much of its equipment was damaged.<\/p>\n
He failed to elaborate further, however.<\/p>\n
According to Ali, the rescue team was waiting for the
\nIndonesian Navy to go to the scene of the disaster.<\/p>\n
However, the Navy reportedly postponed launching a search
\noperation as they had not been issued orders by Eastern Fleet
\nCommand.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the poor state of the local rescue team, port
\nadministrator Albar remarked that he could only call on those who
\nwere touched by the tragedy to help out with the search for
\nsurvivors.<\/p>\n
\"May God have mercy on the remaining 51 people,\" Albar said.
\n(27\/emf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/more-passengers-rescued-51-feared-dead-after-sinking-1447893297",
"image": ""
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