The 'KMP Bandeng' which had sailed from Tobelo, North Maluku island, bound for Bitung, eastern North Sulawesi, in the evening of Aug 14, 2018, with 50 passengers and crew members and 16 vehicles on board, got in distress in the morning of Aug 15
The 'KMP Bandeng' which had sailed from Tobelo, North Maluku island, bound for Bitung, eastern North Sulawesi, in the evening of Aug 14, 2018, with 50 passengers and crew members and 16 vehicles on board, got in distress in the morning of Aug 15. The ferry contacted authorities and asked permission to turn back because of deteriorating weather. Several hours later the contact with ship got lost. The ship was disabled after having suffered engine failure and sank being caught in a heavy swell with waves of 2-3 meters height in the afternoon hours in the waters of North Loloda Island, next to West Halmahera Island. The 'SAR 237 - Pandudewanata' managed to evacuate a total of 28 people from a liferaft in pos. 0202.20'N - 12740.882 'E. Furthermore, the 'SAR 237 - Pandudewanata' headed to Baja Village to pick up 17 victims who had been evacuated by fishing boats and were taken to Tobelo Port and Ternate City to undergo medical treatment. The 'SAR 237 - Pandudewanata' brought all 45 castaways to the Ahmad Yani Ternate Port. They were medically treated, and most have now been allowed to leave Ternate Public Hospital, North Maluku. Only two people still had to be treated for mild dehydration. 19 people returned to Tobelo and were carried on with a bus, 10 people returned to Manado by plane, and 14 more people returned directly to their homes in Ternate. Five people - Captain Alfred Rahasa (56 years), KKM Hendi Suhairi (40 years), Mualim II Aspar (27 years), Fani Abdurahhim (33 years) and the passenger, Supardi (30 years) were missing. Meanwhile, another passenger named Henri was rescued by the 'Knp 375 - Tidore' which together with the Kakansar team conducted a search for the missing.
