Strong Waves Sink Speedboat In Mentawai Waters

Pariaman, W Sumatra, Dec 17 (Antara) - A speedboat carrying seven people sank in the waters of Mentawai off the western coast of Sumatra on Tuesday evening after being hit by strong waves. The speedboat, owned by the Mentawai district administration, sank at around 5.00 p. m. on Tuesday while on its way to Tuapejat, Head of the Disaster Mitigation Board (BPBD) of Mentawai Islands district Hati Samaura said on Wednesday. "Six people were rescued by fishermen, while one person is still missing," Samaura stated. A joint team of search and rescue (SAR) workers is still searching for the missing passenger in the waters of the Southwest sub-district of Siberut in Mentawai district, he affirmed. "Two speedboats owned by the BPBD were deployed to search for the victim of the sunken speedboat," he noted. Samaura also pointed out that the SAR team combed three different places in the waters of Mentawai district in their search for the victim. "The first search was concentrated in the waters of Sipora Island. They (the team) later moved to the Indian Ocean and then the waters of South Siberut," he added. Furthermore, it was difficult for the joint SAR team to search for the victim as waves in the waters of Mentawai Islands were as high as 2.5 meters, he said. "Till now, efforts to find the victim have not been fruitful. The search for the missing victim will be carried out for three days," he stated.