SAR has yet to act in Majene

MAJENE, South Sulawesi (JP): Seven days after the KM Restu Illahi sank off Majene in the Makassar Bay, there have still been no Search and Rescue (SAR) teams deployed to search for the 47 missing passengers.

Majene port administrator Albar Yahya said here on Saturday that he had reported the incident to the Makassar SAR head office on May 30, but efforts by SAR to search for the missing passengers had yet to be made.

Diming, an operational staff member of SAR III Makassar, confirmed that SAR had yet to deploy any teams to Majene.

"It will be very dangerous for us to enter the Makassar Bay without adequate equipment," Diming told The Jakarta Post, adding that SAR expected the Navy to do something to search for the passengers.

When asked who was really responsible for such a fatal accident, Diming said, "The (ill-fated) ship had been late to contact us about the accident. The Makassar Bay is vulnerable to ship accidents, while our equipment is mediocre. We just expect local fishermen's help."

The four-ton ship, carrying a total of 84 passengers, mostly merchants, and nine crew members, left the Palipi port in Majene regency for Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, at 6 p.m. on Saturday May 26. It reportedly hit a flotilla of logs, followed by huge waves six hours later.

All 37 survivors, including captain Abdul Rahman and another crew member identified as Damri, were found stranded on the Palipi and Pakbusuang shorelines on Thursday and Friday. They have returned home. (27/sur)