LABUAN BAJO, Dec 29 — Indonesia’s search and rescue team this morning found a Spanish national who had been reported missing after a tourist boat accident off Padar Island, Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, last weekend, reported Antara News Agency.
Maumere Search and Rescue Office operations chief Asfan Dulhasan said the victim, a 12-year-old girl, was found dead.
“On the fourth day of the search at 6.05am local time (GMT+8), we received information from residents who found the victim in the waters off Serai Island, part of Komodo National Park,” he said.
He added that after being evacuated from the discovery site, the victim’s body was taken to Komodo Regional General Hospital in Labuan Bajo.
Search efforts will continue for up to seven more days to locate three other victims, all of whom are Spanish nationals.
Maumere Search and Rescue Office head Fathur Rahman said the operation has been intensified with the deployment of the KN SAR Puntadewa 250 vessel, which arrived on Sunday.
The tourist boat KM Putri Sakinah, carrying four crew members and seven passengers from Komodo Island to Padar Island, sank on Friday night, December 26, after being struck by high waves that caused engine failure, officials said.
Seven people were rescued, while four others — a father and his three children — were reported missing.
The father was identified as Valencia CF women’s football coach Fernando Martin Careras. — Bernama-Antara
