Drowned official found off Padar, 3 still missing

JAKARTA (JP): Search and Rescue workers found the body of one of the four government officials believed to have drowned in the rough waters of East Nusa Tenggara last week, police said yesterday.

"Our team found the body of Hartati Soegarjito in the sea off Padar Island at 12:10 p.m. today," First Lt. I Made Suartayasa, chief of the Investigation Unit of the Ruteng District Police, told The Jakarta Post by phone last night.

Hartati was a researcher at the Bogor-based directorate general for forest protection and natural conservation of the Forestry Ministry (PHPA).

Hernowo, an assistant to the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare in Jakarta, confirmed the recovery of Hartati's body.

"We have just received the information that Hartati's body was found today," he told the Post, adding that his office has also sent a team to East Nusa Tenggara to reinforce the search operation.

Made said Hartati's body was found by Chief Sergeant Nur Menge and two residents of Komodo Island near Padar Island, about 200 meters from Komodo Island. The team was to conduct research on Komodo.

A local Transportation Ministry official said over the weekend that the speedboat was on its way from Labuhan Bajo in western Flores to Komodo Island park. It sank between Komodo Island and Siaba Island, probably after being hit by a storm on Thursday.

The nine were Hartati; Sudomo, an expert staff member of the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare; Second Lt. I Putu Ngurah, the Komodo police precinct chief; Suryati Retmana, a staff member of the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare; Martha Klein, a researcher from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; Yahya Mulyana, also a researcher from PHPA; Chief Sergeant Syahrir of the Labuhan Bajo Police precinct; Tatan, a staff member from the Komodo Island Park; and Yonas Ora, the boat's driver from the Komodo Island Park.

Made said that the search and rescue team was still looking for Sudomo, Putu Ngurah, and Suryati.

The five who survived the accident are Martha, Yahya, Syahrir, Tatan and Yonas. They are reportedly in good health in a Labuhan Bajo clinic.

Head of the East Nusa Tenggara office of the Transportation Ministry Sitepu said it would be quite difficult to find the people because the waves are dangerously high.

He said that his office had provided a helicopter for the research mission in addition to the speedboat.

"I do not know why they used the speedboat instead of the helicopter," he was quoted by Antara as saying.(imn)