RI: End of Sinking Boat Victims Search Depends on Today Finding

Liputan6.com, Jakarta Scores of bodies have been pulled out of the water following the sinking of a capsized wooden boat carrying mostly Indonesian migrants on the evening of 3 September 2015.

The boat sank off the coast of western part of Malaysia not far from Malacca Straight with reports claiming that as many as 100 Indonesians have been the passengers of such overloaded and largely fragile vessel.

As the day progresses, more bodies were recovered with 51 people are reported dead with 15 successfully identified.

The capsized wooden boat was 12.2 meter long and it had been traveling from Kuala Sungai Bernam en route to Tanjong balai Indonesia in the early hours of Thursday before it sank nine miles south- west of Tanjong Sauh situated in the Malacca Straight.

Indonesia has been exerting efforts to help Malaysian local rescuing agency to find what was left of the capsized boat. Indonesian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Arrmanatha Nasir claims today (8/9/2015) that the search of Indonesians from the sinking wooden boat will continue until all victims have been identified and evacuated.

“No, the search of hundreds of Indonesian from the sinking boat does not end here. We will continue our mission,” Arrmanatha said at the House of Representatives building, Jakarta, Tuesday.

Arrmanatha however said that the search will be continually monitored and will be predominantly conducted by the Malaysian authority.

This means that if they have successfully recovered the whole victims of the sinking boat, then Indonesia will no longer continue its search and likely to further its probing on the case more on the identification process of its people.

“We’ll see how it goes today. Today’s findings will help us determine whether or not the search ought to continue,” Arrmanatha further explained.

Regarding allegations placed on the owner of the boat, Arrmanatha said that it is the Malaysian authority’s right to investigate further down of the case to its core. (Akp/Ein)