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Search continues as seven still missing in Belawan waters
The search for the seven missing crew members of the KM Kumala Endah freighter, which sank in Belawan waters, North Sumatra, was fruitless as of Friday afternoon and would continue until next week
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he search for the seven missing crew members of the KM Kumala Endah freighter, which sank in Belawan waters, North Sumatra, was fruitless as of Friday afternoon and would continue until next week.
North Sumatra National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) head Rochmali said the search mission would be carried out for a week, after which the joint team, made up of search and rescue team personnel, police and the Indonesian Military (TNI), would halt its search efforts.
'However, if we detect anything, we will extend the search,' Rochmali told the media on the sidelines of the search for the victims of the sunken vessel in Belawan, near Medan.
Rochmali said into the third day of the search, the joint team had failed to detect any signs of the victims floating at sea despite the fact that the search area had been expanded.
The freighter sank around a kilometer off Belawan on Tuesday. Nine crew members have been reported missing, while there are five known survivors.
On Thursday, the joint team found two bodies floating around the area where the freighter sank. The bodies have been identified as helmsman Daniel Marganda Sinaga, 28, of Simalungun regency, North Sumatra, and skipper Sutimin, 49, of Boyolali, Central Java. Both bodies were taken to the North Sumatra Police Mobile Brigade Hospital.
Rochmali said a robot was used to take pictures of the position of the ship as victims were feared to be trapped inside the sunken boat.
'We used a robot to help locate the victims,' said Rochmali, adding that search efforts were focused at buoy 2 where the cargo ship sank.
Meanwhile, North Sumatra Maritime Police director Sr. Comr. Tubuh Musyareh said a diving team had encountered difficulties while searching for victims due to the swift undercurrent. Musyareh added that bad weather on Friday had hampered the search.
'The divers were unable to dive to the sea floor to find the sunken vessel at a depth of 17 meters today. The undercurrent was very swift,' said Musyareh.
Musyareh added that the ship sank after hitting a shipwreck around Belawan waters.
'Ships sailing off Belawan must be cautious due to many shipwrecks that could endanger their journey,' said Musyareh.
