Search operation for KMP Putri Yasmin victims officially closed after 8 days

The SAR operation for the KMP Putri Yasmin ferry fire in the waters of the Lombok Strait, West Nusa Tenggara, was officially closed on the eighth day, Wednesday (19/8).

“The closure today follows a one-day extension of the search,” said the Head of the Mataram SAR Office and SAR Mission Coordinator (SMC), Muhamad Hariyadi, in a statement in Mataram on Wednesday.

He said that during the eight days of the SAR operation, which began when the incident occurred, the joint SAR team succeeded in rescuing 212 passengers, while one person was found dead.

“As of the final day of the SAR operation closure, four other victims remain missing,” he said.

The search, which lasted from the first day to the eighth day, involved massive movement across three domains: air, sea and land. The maritime sector was swept in stages from the Lombok Strait and Bali, extending the search range to the southern waters of Java.

The aerial search deployed a Finns SGi Air Bali helicopter, supported by a CASSA NC212-200 (U-6215) aircraft belonging to the Indonesian Navy, as well as thermal drones. On the sea surface, a fleet of KN SAR vessels, KAL vessels, passenger ships, yachts, RBBs and RIBs was deployed simultaneously.

Meanwhile, on land, teams combed the coastline and disseminated information to fishermen and coastal communities. Posting and dissemination of information to passing ships was also carried out through VTS Lembar.

Hariyadi stressed that every maximum effort and optimisation of primary equipment had been deployed in the field. However, as of Wednesday (19/8) afternoon, the results remained nil and the whereabouts of the four victims had not been found.

“As of Wednesday afternoon, the results remain nil and the whereabouts of the four victims have not been found,” he said.

Hariyadi emphasised that although the SAR operation has been officially closed, this does not rule out the possibility of the search being reopened if new evidence or clues are found.

“In accordance with regulations, we have officially closed the SAR operation. However, this closure does not mean monitoring has stopped. We continue to monitor and coordinate with all SAR resources and the fishing community. If signs or new information regarding the whereabouts of the victims are found at a later date, the SAR operation will be immediately reopened,” said Hariyadi.

Therefore, Hariyadi continued, with the official closure of the operation, all SAR resources involved have been returned to their respective units and agencies.

“We extend our highest gratitude and appreciation to all parties for the synergy established during the SAR operation,” he said.