RESCUE TEAM FINDS THREE CREW MEMBERS OF SINKING SHIP

Sungailiat, Bangka, Jan 15 (ANTARA)- Search and Rescue (SAR) team of Indonesian Navy, assisted by local fishermen, had found three crew members of MV Bangka Jaya Express (BJE) ship which sank in Batu Beriga waters near Tanjung Berikat, Bangka Belitung province, on Tuesday night.

The three crew members including the ship's skipper were then evacuated to the Pangkalpinang general hospital, said Sakinawa, Emas Diving Club coordinator through his mobile phone on Wednesday night.

MV Bangka Jaya Express carrying small items for sale such as toothbrushes, cups and glassware sank on Tuesday (Jan 13) night in a rough sea.
The MV Bangka Jaya Express accident happened only a couple of days after Teratai Prima ship with its 250 passengers and 17 crew members on board sank in Baturoro waters, Majene regency, West Sulawesi on Jan 11.

Sakinawa said the SAR team has not yet identified the sinking ship wreck position so far.

In addition, Amriadie SH, Navy evacuation team member said that huge waves and storm had hampered the searching activities of the ill-fated ship, which was operated by its ten crew members.

MV Bangka Jaya Express (BJE) left the Sunda Kelapa sea-port in Jakarta for Pangkalbalam sea-port in Pangkal Pinang, capital of Babel province in Sumatra Island on Tuesday.

After about three miles away of sailing from the Batu Beriga coastal area, the ship was hit by five meter-high waves and then sank, the SAR team said.

In addition, the MV Teratai Prima capsized and sank in the waters of Baturoro, Majene district, due to huge waves and a storm when it was sailing from Parepare port in South Sulawesi to Balikpapan in East Kalimantan, early Sunday.

The vessel left Parpare port at 4 pm on Saturday but later met the accident due to huge waves.