7 Missing After Boat Carrying Migrant Workers Capsizes off Batam Waters

Authorities confirmed that seven people are still missing after a boat carrying 30 nonprocedural migrant workers capsized near Pulau Putri in Batam, Riau Islands province.

Head of the technical implementation unit (UPT) at the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI) in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Abri Danar Prabawa said the majority of migrant workers on the boat were from NTB. And the boat, which was bound for Malaysia, capsized on Thursday, June 16, at about 7.30 p.m. local time.

“We received the information from BP2MI in Riau Islands,” Prabawa said as reported by Antara on Friday.

According to him, 23 out of 30 passengers have been evacuated while the remaining are still missing.

The 23 rescued workers are all from NTB and are currently at the Batam Naval Base.

“For the seven missing victims, the search and rescue team continues their search at the location,” Prabawa added. “The evacuated ones are recently undergoing recovery process after the accident, and their departure [to Malaysia] will later be investigated.”

He added his office is coordinating with BP2MI Riau Islands and the naval base to repatriate the victims.