By Nik Nurfaqih Nik Wil
JAKARTA, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- Seventeen crew members of the Indonesian cargo ship MV Khatulistiwa 8 were rescued, while the vessel’s chief officer remained missing after it collided with a barge and sank off Tuban, East Java, on Wednesday night.
PT Pertamina Trans Kontinental (PTK) Operations Director Yudi Wibisono said two company-operated tugboats, which were on standby in nearby waters, were deployed after receiving a distress signal from the vessel on Wednesday night.
“Upon receiving the emergency information, we immediately coordinated with the relevant authorities and deployed the nearest vessels to provide assistance,” he said in a statement carried by Antara news agency on Thursday night.
According to the news agency, the cargo ship was carrying cement from Tuban to Sampit in Central Kalimantan when the collision occurred, causing the vessel to sink.
Yudi said the 17 evacuated crew members were subsequently brought to the Semen Indonesia jetty in Tuban and handed over to port authorities and company personnel for further assistance.
Search operations for the missing chief officer are being handled by the relevant authorities.
-- BERNAMA