SAR Team Finds Tugboat Crew Member From Capsized Vessel at PT ASL Batam Safe

Batam (ANTARA) - A joint Search and Rescue (SAR) team successfully located one crew member from the capsized tugboat near PT ASL Tanjung Uncang, Batam, Riau Islands, safe on Sunday morning. Fazzli, head of the Tanjung Pinang SAR Office, said the discovery was the result of a well-planned SAR operation from the outset. ‘The SAR operation for the tugboat that capsized at PT ASL today marks the third day of search. Alhamdulillah, around 05:00 this morning the survivor Yusuf Tankin was found safe,’ he said when contacted in Batam on Sunday. He explained that from the outset the SAR team suspected the victim remained inside the ship. ‘Therefore, the evacuation process, involving towing the vessel to shore and flipping it, took time because it required adequate equipment,’ he said. After the vessel was flipped, the joint team comprising PT ASL management, Basarnas, the TNI, and the Police checked the hull before continuing with diving operations. ‘The survivor was found in the engine room. Inside that space there was still an air pocket that allowed the victim to survive,’ he added. After rescue, the victim was immediately taken to Mutiara Aini Hospital Batam for further medical treatment. With Yusuf Tankin located, the SAR operation for the incident officially ended. Of the five crew aboard, two were confirmed alive and three others had died. The surviving victim was identified as M. Habib Ansyari, who is a crew member of the vessel. The three who died were Abdul Rahman, the captain; Guntur Pardede, the chief; and Jhonson Bertuahman Damanik, head of the engine room. Earlier, the Tanjungpinang SAR Office received information about the incident on Friday (6 March) at 17:57 WIB from a reporter. ‘Our team from Batam immediately headed to the location and arrived around 18:05 WIB to coordinate with Polairud, KPLP and PT ASL,’ Fazzli said. The accident occurred around 14:30 WIB when the tugboat was towing the cargo ship Kyparissia, which was undergoing docking in the PT ASL Tanjung Uncang shipyard area. The incident adds to a string of workplace accidents at PT ASL Batam. Previously in 2025 there were four workplace accidents at the yard, three of which were fatal. On 24 June 2025 a fire on the MT Federal II caused four workers to die and five others to be injured. Then on 15 October 2025 another incident on the same vessel killed 14 and injured 17 workers. On 29 December 2025 two workers died after being electrocuted while painting the ship. A fire also occurred again on 25 January 2026 at the yard, though no fatalities were reported in that incident.