Boat With Illegal Immigrants Still Missing

Mataram (Antara Bali) - A wooden boat carrying some 50 illegal immigrants from the Middle East which allegedly went down  southwest of  Maluk Strait on Thursday at 1:50 p.m. local time had not been recovered by a SAR team using a National Disaster Agency (Basarnas) helicopter of Denpasar, Bali.

Mataram Basarnas Communication Staff Wisnu Satrio said here  Friday that the search of the missing boat was started at 3 p.m. local time in a coordinate in the Maluk Strait waters, West  Sumbawa.

He said the nameless wooden boat carrying 50 illegal immigrants from the Middle East was heading for Australia.

"The illegal immigrants managed to flutter a flag calling for help and seen by the rescuers on a boat of air water police (Polairud) Thursday afternoon at 9 pm local time, but the rescuers had difficulties to reach the distant crime scene in high waves," he said.

Wisnu said the illegal immigrants did not wish to pass the information directly to the SAR team, and gave the information only through the Australian Consulate which then gave the information to  the SAR team.(IGT)