Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Indonesia On Sunday, rescuers discovered a second body during an ongoing search. spanish A football coach and his two children went missing after a cruise ship sank over the Christmas holidays.
Fathur Rahman, director of the Maumere Search and Rescue Office, said rescue teams recovered the floating body near Padar Island, about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the wreck site.
Authorities have not yet identified the newly discovered body, but it is believed to be that of a member of the family who was vacationing in Indonesia’s Komodo National Park area. The body was taken to a hospital in Labuan Bajo, the gateway town to the park in eastern Indonesia, for identification, Rahman said.
For Fernando Martin, 44, the coach of Valencia’s women’s B team, a family holiday in the park area turned into a tragedy when the boat carrying him, his wife, four children, four crew members and a local guide sank due to engine failure on the evening of December 26.
Martin’s wife and one child were rescued within hours of the incident, along with four crew members and a guide. But Martin, his two sons and another daughter, ages 9, 10 and 12, were missing.
Three days later, rescuers found the first victim, a 12-year-old Spanish girl, near the waters north of Serai Island, about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) from the wreck site. Indonesian authorities confirmed to Martin’s wife and through medical and forensic identification that the girl was one of the missing children.
Rahman said the Spanish government and the families of the victims were deeply involved. In a letter dated December 31, the Spanish ambassador formally requested that the search continue to be intensified. Under Indonesian law, search operations usually last seven days but can be extended if there are signs or possibility of finding victims.
“We are determined to find all the victims,” Rahman said after a joint search and rescue team reviewed and extended the operation until January 4. “We remain optimistic that the hard work of all search and rescue personnel will bear fruit during this extended operation.”
The search operation has entered its tenth day (Sunday) and the search for remaining family members continues. More than 160 personnel, backed by police and the navy, stepped up rescue efforts, scouring four areas in the waters of Komodo National Park using inflatable boats, naval vessels and rescue boats equipped with sonar equipment and underwater navigation equipment. Divers were also deployed.
Komodo National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its rugged landscape, pristine beaches and endangered lizards, the Komodo dragon. The park attracts thousands of international visitors for diving, hiking and wildlife excursions.
Indonesia is an archipelago country with more than 17,000 islands, and boats are a common means of transportation there. Accidents occur frequently due to lax safety standards and overcrowding.