Search halted for ship accident victims<\/p>\n
Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar<\/p>\n
Authorities in South Sulawesi ceased on Monday the search for
\nsurvivors of an overloaded ship that caught fire and exploded
\nminutes later in waters adjacent to the province last Friday,
\nleaving at least 16 people dead.<\/p>\n
The search was halted despite the fact that the captain of the
\nill-fated ship KM Kenanga, identified as Hardin, was still
\nmissing. It remains unclear whether he was killed in the accident
\nor has gone into hiding.<\/p>\n
Baubau Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Sarbini said on Monday that
\nsearch and rescue workers had ceased activities in South Sulawesi
\nwaters, where the boat exploded, after all of the victims had
\nbeen evacuated, except for the captain.<\/p>\n
\"As of now the ship's captain has not yet been found. He is
\npotentially an important source of information who could help
\nexplain the cause of the tragedy,\" Sarbini told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The search and rescue operation involved two speedboats and
\nthree ships close to the site of the explosion, some two nautical
\nmiles from Batu port, Baubau.<\/p>\n
Earlier reports said at least 16 people, including three
\nchildren, were killed in the accident and 85 people rescued. A
\nsource at Murhum port, Baubau district, who wished to remain
\nanonymous, said the death toll had risen to 20.<\/p>\n
Sarbini refuted the figures and claimed that only 13 of the 80
\npassengers aboard had died and seven others were injured.<\/p>\n
It was reported earlier that around 200 people were aboard the
\nship plus its nine-man crew, and it was loaded with gasoline and
\ndiesel fuel.<\/p>\n
The passengers were mostly migrant workers returning from
\nMalaysia who had just arrived in Batu aboard the ship MV Bukit
\nSiguntang.<\/p>\n
The workers were heading to Talaga, a district where many of
\nthe locals work overseas.<\/p>\n
Sarbini said all the dead had been buried, with the survivors
\nevacuated and handed over to their respective families.<\/p>\n
Officials in Makassar said the ill-fated ship caught fire and
\nthen exploded about one hour after sailing from Batu to Kabaena
\nisland in Southeast Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
After exploding, the ship sank.<\/p>\n
It remained unclear on Monday what had caused the tragedy.
\nLocal police were questioning seven of the nine-strong crew who
\nsurvived the accident.<\/p>\n
Sarbini blamed the missing captain for the tragedy and said
\nhis personnel were continuing to look for him, although the
\nsearch for survivors had been halted.<\/p>\n
Asked when the local authorities would reveal the cause of the
\naccident, Sarbini said, \"It all depends on the investigation into
\nthe captain.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/search-halted-for-ship-accident-victims-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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