Search For Victims Of Sinking Ship Intensified

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Rescuers are intensifying efforts to search the victims of a ship which sank on Saturday in Trenggalek's waters, East Java, with hundreds of illegal immigrants from the Middle East on board, an official said.

"The search is being carried out in the waters and through the air while taking into account the high wives and extreme weather," Chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Daryatmo said here when contacted by ANTARA on Sunday.

He said that the Basarnas had sent one helicopter to the accident location. "The military and police also assisted us and provided helicopters," the Basarnas head said.

Daryatmo said that for the search and evacuation the Navy was also sending KRI Untung Suropati warship. "With the relatively big ship, we hope we can reach the location to find and evacuate many victims," he said.

Daryatmo said rescuers on Saturday evening had moved to the location but they were hampered with extreme weather.

He said his agency was still waiting for information from a joint team which was heading toward the accident location, about 20-30 miles from the border line of Prigi coast, Watulimo subdistrict, Trenggalek.(**)