TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - KM Lestari Maju boat capsized in Selayar waters, South Sulawesi, today afternoon, July 3. The rescue team needs more rescue boats for evacuating the passenger.
“We need more rescue boats because we have to evacuate passengers. Our boat can only load 50 people,” said Selayar Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Syamsu Ridwan today, July 3.
The police chief stated his personnel had not known yet the casualties since the evacuation process is still taking place.
According to Syamsu, the incident occurred 500 meters near Pamatata Port, Selayar. However, the police have to evacuate the passengers to the nearest island with the public’s ship. “The weather is bad, the wave reaches 3 meters. Even though it’s only 15 minutes away to dock in Selayar port,” he said.
Syamsu stated the majority of the passengers were adult. As many as 139 passengers and dozens of vehicles onboard were departing from Bira Bulukumba to Pamatata, Selayar district.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho added the KM Lestari Maju boat incident today was due to the leaking in the left hull of the boat. The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) was currently conducting the evacuation.
“We haven’t collected the data of casualty yet,” Sutopo said.
DIDIT HARIYADI
