Diver Dispatched to Search Ferry Accident Victims

Bakauheni, Lampung - As many as 35 professional divers have been deployed to evacuate the victims of KM Bahuga Jaya ferry boat, which sank in Sunda Strait four miles off the Bakauheni port in Lampung on Wednesday (September 26). "The team of divers are from the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), Lampung Transportation Office, and the Jala Mengkara Detachment (Denjaka) of Marine Corps," Lampung Search and Rescue (SAR) Office head Saidar R. Jaya said here on Thursday. He added that although the location of the ferry had been determined, it might change due to unpredictable weather conditions. "The coordinate point of the ferry can change anytime," Saidar stated. The ferry is lying at a depth of approximately 50 metres, which could prove to be a hurdle for the divers in their efforts to find victims. Meanwhile, the Deputy Operational Coordinator of Basarnas, Major General Hadi Lukmonon, said the evacuation process would ¿start with finding the exact location of KM Bahuga Jaya, after which a rope would be dropped to the body of the ferry¿. He explained that evacuation efforts were stalled on Wednesday because of poor weather conditions in Sunda Strait. However, Lukmono expressed hope that the evacuation process would resume on Thursday. "I hope we have good weather today and the Sunda Strait waters remain calm so the evacuation team can do its job," he added. According to Lukmono, 214 people have been evacuated so far, while seven passengers were confirmed dead. (*)