SAR team searches for nine crew members of capsized vessel in Bintan-Kepri waters

Tanjungpinang – The Search and Rescue (SAR) Office, Tanjungpinang, is seeking nine crew members of the KM Makmur Jaya who were aboard when the vessel capsized in the waters off Pulau Merapas, Bintan Regency, in the Riau Islands (Kepri). The head of the Tanjungpinang SAR Office, Fazzli, said the 29-person vessel capsized at coordinates 01°00.584′N−105°19.255′S after being reported at 21:05 WIB by the ship agent named Lago. ‘The incident location is recorded about 90 nautical miles from Sekupang Pier, Batam,’ Fazzli said in a statement in Tanjungpinang on Sunday night. He explained that the chronology began when KM Makmur Jaya departed from Kampung Bugis, Tanjungpinang, bound for Pengibu Island, on Saturday (7 March) at 14:00 WIB. However, in the early hours of Sunday at 04:00 WIB, the vessel was struck by high waves, causing it to list and eventually capsize in the waters off Pulau Merapas. In an emergency, Fazzli said, 20 crew members attempted to save themselves by clinging to the hull of the overturned vessel. Meanwhile, the other nine managed to climb onto lifeboats, but were subsequently separated from the main vessel. ‘All 20 crew who remained on the hull were evacuated to Kijang Port, Bintan Regency, for handover to the vessel’s agent,’ Fazzli said. He added that as of now the 20 casualties have been confirmed safe and are in the process of information gathering. The nine crew on the lifeboats are still missing and being searched for. Fazzli added that the Batam SAR Rescue Post team together with the crew of KN SAR Purworejo 101, comprising 22 personnel, have departed for the scene to search for the nine missing crew. The search for victims also involves joint SAR assets from the Kijang Naval Post, Bintan Timur Police, BPBD Bintan, Polairud Bintan, and the Berakit Naval Post.