3 killed after boat carrying football team capsizes in Batam

JAKARTA – The Tanjungpinang Search and Rescue Agency said that three people who went missing after a longboat capsized on June 25 near Nenek Island, Batam, Riau Islands, have been found dead.

Agency head Fazzli said the three victims were discovered on the morning of June 27 and that their remains were transported to the Riau Islands Police Bhayangkara Hospital in Batam for identification.

“Two of the victims have been identified, while the authorities are still working to confirm the identity of the third,” he said on June 27, as reported by CNN Indonesia.

Mr Fazzli added that the first victim was discovered at around 6am by a fisherman near Buluh Bulang Island, approximately 13km from Nenek Island. About two hours later, rescuers located the second victim near Panjang Island, around 10km from the accident site.

The third victim was also found later that morning by local fisherfolk near Tanjung Sauh Island, roughly 28km from Nenek Island.

Previously, Tanjungpinang Search and Rescue Agency head of operations Eryk Subariyanto said the agency had deployed a rescue boat, a motorised rubber boat, a thermal drone and handheld sonar devices to assist in locating the victims.

“We’re also working with the Riau Islands police, local navy personnel, the coast guard and local residents in the search efforts,” Mr Eryk said on June 27, as reported by Antaranews.

He added that on the third day of the operation, rescuers planned to expand the search area by 3.2km to both the north and south of the accident site.

“The search area was determined based on statements from surviving passengers, along with our projections of the victims’ possible locations using tidal pattern analysis,” he said.

According to the authorities, the victims and 10 others departed from Nenek Island at around 4pm on June 25 to play in a football match on Setokok Island. However, during the journey, their longboat was struck by strong waves and capsized.

Local residents rescued four passengers several hours after the accident. Meanwhile, six others clung to the overturned longboat and managed to swim ashore when the vessel drifted close to an island at around 9pm on June 25.

However, three passengers, 23-year-old Muhammad Fahri Kurniawan, 28-year-old Fadli and 24-year-old Firdaus went missing following the incident.

The authorities previously said rescue efforts for the three missing victims were hampered by poor weather, strong winds and rough seas.

The Batam boat accident occurred just a month after another boat capsized near Zakat Beach in Bengkulu City, Bengkulu, resulting in eight deaths and dozens of injuries.

Bengkulu Search and Rescue Agency spokesperson Mega Maysilva said the boat, the KM Tiga Putra, was carrying 98 tourists and six crew members on a trip from Bengkulu City to Tikus Island on the morning of May 11, a journey that typically lasts between 40 and 60 minutes.

The accident occurred at around 4pm as the boat was making its return trip to Bengkulu.

“The boat’s engine suddenly failed when it was hit by strong waves and a storm. The vessel began rocking uncontrollably, throwing passengers into the sea before it ultimately sank,” he said in May, as quoted by Kompas.

Preliminary investigations suggested negligence on the part of the ship operators, as the vessel was carrying passengers beyond its maximum capacity. THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK