REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Jakarta Police and a joint search team are continuing the attempt to look for the 16 passengers of the Sahabat Motor Vessel that sank in North Jakarta waters around the Tanjung Priok Port.

"The search is being conducted by deploying divers and boat assistance," pointed out Jakarta Police spokesperson Senior Police Commisarry Rikwanto, here on Monday.

Rikwanto stated that the Jakarta Police evacuation personnel received at least 16 reports from families whose relatives were on board the Sahabat Motor Vessel.

The evacuation team is having to deal with the three meter high tide during the efforts to search for the remaining passengers.

The other obstacle the evacuation team faces is the distance of 35 kilometers to the nearest evacuation post, which is in Marunda Port.

To overcome this, Rikwanto explained that the police will set up an evacuation post at the nearest island from the location of the incident, to facilitate the search.

The officials are still focusing on the search for survivors and examining witnesses in order to ascertain the exact number of passengers who were on board the ship.

"We are tracing the number of passengers through tickets purchased and manifest records," revealed Rikwanto.

The officers have examined 10 witnesses from among the victims and their families. Further, the police officers will request information from the head of the port from where the ship was dispatched, as well as from the captain of Sahabat Motor Vessel.

It was earlier reported that the Sahabat Motor Vessel carrying 113 passengers and 26 crews along with 42 vehicle units had sunk into the sea at around 22 nautical miles off Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta on Tuesday (Jan. 21) at 12:30 p.m.

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