REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Ministry of Transportation ensured that all passengers of KMP Lestari Maju coaster have been evacuated. Based on evacuation result, there are 34 people died due to the incident.

“The death toll reached 34 people, passengers of KMP Lestari Maju,” said National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

According to the ministry Director General of Sea Transportation, Agus Purnomo, the captain and owner of the vessel became the last people who successfully evacuated.

“Evacuation process of passengers KMP Lestari Maju has been completed this morning by using fishing boats by an integrated Search and Rescue (SAR) team,” said Agus on Wednesday (July 4).

Passengers of Lestari Maju evacuated from the coaster that sunk in Selayar waters, South Sulawesi, Tuesday (July 7).

During the evacuation, Agus said bad weather became obstacle in process of rescuing the coaster passengers. He said it was difficult to get closer to location of KMP Lestari Maju, but the evacuation was successful.

High tide hinders evacuation process of KMP Lestari Maju victims in Selayar waters, South Sulawesi, Tuesday (July 7).

Agus stressed that currently he along with Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi still monitored the condition in incident location. Directorate General of Sea Transportation is still focusing in handling of passengers who have been evacuated.

KMP Lestari Maju carrying 139 passengers and 48 vehicles sank in Selayar waters of South Sulawesi after its left hull engine was broken at around 1.40 pm local time on Tuesday (July 2). It caused the ship to take in the water. The condition was worsened by unfavorable weather in the waters.

Earlier, Ministry of Transportation said KMP Lestari Maju deliberately been crashed out, not drown as previously informed.

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