Third body from KM Nurul Salsa remains unidentified
For victim identification, as with previous cases, the body has not yet been identified.
Makassar (ANTARA) - The joint Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team has not yet been able to identify the third body from KM Nurul Salsa, which was found by the Joint Search and Rescue Team and brought to the Medical and Health Division (Biddokkes) Office of the South Sulawesi Regional Police in Makassar on Friday.
Head of Biddokkes at South Sulawesi Regional Police, Commissioner Muhammad Haris, said the body could not be identified because it had already decomposed.
“Victim identification is still as in previous cases — not yet identified,” Haris said.
He explained that the DVI team continued to pursue identification through fingerprint examination, dental records, and matching with antemortem data provided by the victims’ families.
“If the fingerprints are still intact, the process can be faster. The same applies if dental records and other medical characteristics are available,” he said.
Meanwhile, Head of Public Relations at South Sulawesi Regional Police, Commissioner Didik Supranoto, said the third victim was found in the Mattalang area and is currently undergoing the identification process.
He said that of the 17 victims previously reported missing, three had been found, while the other 14 remain the subject of the search.
Didik said investigators were continuing to examine alleged negligence that caused KM Nurul Salsa to sink in the waters west of Polasi Island, Selayar Islands Regency, South Sulawesi, on Wednesday (15/7).
“The number of witnesses examined has increased from 23 to 25 people. The handling status is still in the investigation process,” he said.
According to Didik, investigators are still looking into suspected criminal offences, including alleged negligence resulting in loss of life and alleged falsification of passenger manifest documents.
He revealed that the manifest recorded 46 passengers, while the investigation found that the number of people on board reached 76.
Of that total, 58 people survived, four died, and 14 remain declared missing.
Didik added that investigators have not made any arrests because the legal process is still ongoing. The two additional witnesses examined were surviving passengers.
The joint SAR operation to find the 14 victims still missing is scheduled to end on the tenth day, in line with the standard search operation period of seven days extended by three days.