JAKARTA (BERNAMA) – A boat belonging to Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) exploded in the waters off Gita, Tidore Island, North Maluku, on Sunday night, killing three people and leaving one missing.
The searider boat, en route from the Ahmad Yani Port to assist two fishermen whose vessel had suffered an engine failure, exploded at 11pm local time.
The blast killed two Basarnas personnel and a marine police officer, while Metro TV journalist Syahril Helmi remains missing.
“We’re coordinating with rescue agencies and local fishermen to search for the missing person over the next seven days,” Basarnas Ternate head Iwan told Metro TV.
The boat was carrying 11 people, including seven Basarnas personnel, three marine police officers, and Syahril. Seven survivors have been rescued and are in stable condition, Iwan added.
