SAR RESUMES SEARCH AT LAKE TOBA FOR SUNKEN BOAT'S VICTIMS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 21 (Antara) - Rescuers of a joint team comprising military and police personnel along with locals are continuing the search for some 184 people, who are reportedly still missing after "KM Sinar Bangun" sank in Lake Toba, Monday.          So far, the rescuers have managed to find only 22 victims, of which three have died, but some 184 others are estimated to still be missing based on family reports, as the ship did not have any manifest.          The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) has announced that it will continue to search for the victims. Head of the Medan SAR Office Budiawan noted at an integrated command post at Tigaras Port, Simalungun District, on Thursday that the search began since 7:30 a.m. local time after the morning roll-call.          However, prior to this, it had earlier deployed its team of divers at 7 a.m. local time to look for passengers at the lake bed.          "They did not join the morning roll-call, as they were immediately ordered to dive," he clarified.          Despite weather conditions in Lake Toba not yet being conducive due to the rains, rescue operations have continued unabated. Basarnas has deployed 10 rubber boats in addition to its ship to comb through the waters of Lake Toba in search of the victims.          "The team remains on the pitch, and there are no reports that they have returned," he stated.

TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS DURING LEBARAN DROP 30 PERCENT

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 19 (Antara) - The number of traffic accidents usually increases sharply during Eid Al-Ftri or Lebaran season, as millions of people heading to their hometowns to celebrate Eid festivities pack the roads.          However, the government has made its best to reduce the traffic accidents during this year's Lebaran season through the launch of 'Operation Ketupat 2018' by the Indonesian National Police (Polri).          The number of accidents during the Ketupat Operation 2018, from Wednesday (June 7) (H-8) to Monday (June 18) (H + 3), was 1,478 cases , or 30 percent, down compared to the same period in 2017.         "From H-8 to H + 3 Lebaran, the number of traffic accidents was recorded at 1,478 incidents, down 30 percent compared to that during the operation 'Ramadniya Ops' in the previous year, which reached 2,110 incidents," Head of the Public Information Bureau of the National Police Brigadier General Mohammad Iqbal stated in a short message to Antara on Tuesday.

DEADLY ACCIDENT PROMPTS CALLS FOR BETTER TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 8 (Antara) - The commuter train-Metromini bus collision at North Jakarta's Muara Angke railway crossing that killed 17 people, Sunday, prompted authorities to take steps to put in order the operations of public vehicles in the capital city.          Though not all, yet on an average, drivers of Jakarta's public transportation vehicles --- such as "angkot" and "mikrolet" (both minivans), buses, including Metromini buses --- are notorious for their recklessness.      Luckily, apart from trains, Jakarta's residents can still avail relatively convenient public transportation services in the form of taxis and the TransJakarta Busway transportation services. However, passengers have to pay relatively higher fares for these services.          Traffic accidents in the capital city, particularly at railway crossings, have repeatedly occurred, and Sunday's accident was not the first of its kind.          However, the Muara Angke collision involving an electric commuter train and a Metromini bus appears to have raised awareness among the authorities to streamline the operations of public vehicles in order to protect the safety of passengers and ensure their convenience.          President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has promptly ordered his minister to take the necessary steps to prevent the recurrence of accidents involving means of public transportation at railway crossings.

EVACUATION OF TRIGANA CRASH VICTIMS' BODIES DELAYED

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 18 (Antara) - The evacuation of the bodies of victims of the Trigana airplane, which crashed on Sunday in Oksob, Bintang Pegunungan District, Papua, has been postponed to Wednesday due to bad weather.         "For the time being, I have stopped the evacuation operations because the visibility is pegged at only two to three meters. We will continue it tomorrow at 5 a.m. Eastern Indonesia Time (WIT)," Col. Sugiono, Chief of the 172/Pra Wira Yakti (PWY) District Military Command, said on Tuesday evening.         According to a source in Oksibil, the district capital of Pegunungan Bintang, darkness at the location due to bad weather had resulted in the delay and forced the Airfast helicopter to return from the location to Oksibil.         Col. Sugiono said the search for the victims involved 189 personnel plus about 250 local residents.         "So the total number of personnel involved in the rescue effort has reached 189 in addition to hundreds of locals," Sugiono said.         On Tuesday, rescue workers had found the bodies of all 54 victims of Trigana Air Flight No. 257, which had crashed in Oksob.

AT LEAST 34 LIVES LOST AT SEA DURING LEBARAN

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, July 31 (Antara) - At least 34 people have died in sea accidents or drowned at beaches in the past three days of the post-fasting Idul Fitri or Lebaran festivities across the country.          In a major incident, 17 Lebaran revelers died when a ferry sank in the Kapuas River in Central Kalimantan while 7 others were killed in a boat accident in West Sumatra. In Papua and Central Sulawesi provinces, boat accidents also led to 4 deaths.          As of Thursday, some 51 others were still missing as a result of sea accidents.          Reports revealed that in West Sumatra, at least six people drowned while swimming in beaches, and several others are still missing.          "In the past three days, six people have drowned at various beaches in West Sumatra, such as the Artha and Padang beaches," Juanda Sogo, the chief of the operation section of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) for Padang office, West Sumatra, stated in Padang on Thursday.          Sogo remarked that it was suspected that the victims had drowned as they were not able to swim the high waves at the beaches.         "As the waves were relatively big, they were dragged from the beach lines," Juanda Sogo added.