Search for missing KMP Putri Yasmin fire victims extended

The search for four missing passengers of the KMP Putri Yasmin ferry, which caught fire in the waters of the Lombok Strait, West Nusa Tenggara, has been extended after the seventh day of the joint SAR team’s operation yielded no signs of the victims.

Head of the Mataram SAR Office, Muhamad Hariyadi, said the seven-day search had involved massive movements across three domains—air, sea, and land—with a tiered sweep of the waters starting from the Lombok Strait, Bali, and expanding to the southern waters of Java, yet the four victims had not been found.

“Based on an in-depth evaluation and coordination with SAR elements and related parties, as well as considering the request from the victims’ families for additional search days, we have decided to extend the SAR operation for one more day until Wednesday (19/8) tomorrow,” Hariyadi stated in Mataram on Tuesday.

He emphasised that this extension represents the joint SAR team’s commitment to making the best possible effort to find the missing victims.

He added that with this decision, the total duration of the KMP Putri Yasmin SAR operation now stands at eight days. The joint team will continue to focus the search on points suspected to be the area where the victims are located.

“In addition, information dissemination to passing ships is also being carried out through VTS Lembar, as well as sharing information with fishermen and coastal residents,” he said.

During the week-long SAR operation, a total of 212 passengers were successfully rescued, while one person was found deceased.