Drowned official found off Padar, 3 still missing

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)