KM Intim Teratai Sinks in Halmahera Waters, 246 Passengers Evacuated

A joint Search and Rescue (SAR) team successfully evacuated all passengers from the vessel KM Intim Teratai, which sank in waters off Makian Island on Tuesday (17 February), whilst operating on the route from Kupal in South Halmahera to Ternate. All passengers were rescued alive.

Head of the Ternate SAR Office, Iwan Ramdani, said on Wednesday that his team deployed the rescue vessel KN SAR 237 Pandudewanata to the site of the sinking, where they carried out the evacuation of passengers who had already jumped into the sea, bringing them ashore to Sabale Village on Makian Island.

Meanwhile, the police vessels KP Kie Besi and KP Wibisana, along with the port authority vessel KNP 358 belonging to the Harbour Master and Port Authority (KSOP), arrived at the location and immediately assisted in evacuating survivors to Ahmad Yani Port and Bastiong Fishing Port.

By approximately 4.20pm Eastern Indonesian Time (WIT), all survivors had been evacuated to Ahmad Yani Port in Ternate in safe condition and were handed over to their respective families. Those who sustained injuries were taken to Chasan Boesoirie Regional General Hospital in Ternate for further medical treatment.

Following the evacuation process and data collection by the joint SAR team, the total number of passengers and crew was recorded at 246 persons.

Ramdani added that at 4.40pm WIT, the joint SAR team conducted a debriefing and evaluation, which revealed that the ship’s manifest recorded only 149 passengers and crew members. However, after the SAR team conducted a recount, the actual number of evacuees totalled 246 persons.

All survivors were evacuated safely, though several sustained bone fractures.

With all survivors successfully evacuated in safe condition, the SAR operation was concluded and all participating units were returned to their respective posts, he said.

The agencies and units involved in the SAR operation included the Ternate SAR Office, Military Regional Command 152/BBL, Ternate Naval Base, Ternate Police, North Maluku Police Water and Air Unit, North Maluku Police Medical Division, Ternate City Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Ternate Harbour Master and Port Authority, Tidore Harbour Master and Port Authority, the Makian Island Health Team, Ternate Amateur Radio Association (RAPI), City Health Office, Makian Island Sub-district Head, local fishermen from Makian, local residents, and victims’ families.

The equipment and assets deployed during the SAR operation included the rescue vessel KN SAR 237 Pandudewanata, port authority vessel KNP 358 KPLP, police vessels KP Wibisana, KP Kie Besi, and KP XXX-2003, community speedboats, rubber boats, ambulances, and evacuation, medical, and communications equipment.