Rantau Bayur, KOTABARI.COM – A serene visit turned into a nightmare as a traditional wooden boat, locally known as ‘getek’, capsized in the turbulent waters of the Musi River, claiming the lives of three passengers. The unfortunate incident occurred in Dusun II Village, Sejagung Subdistrict, Rantau Bayur, Saturday afternoon.
Raymond Konstantin, the Head of the Palembang Basarnas Office, recounted receiving information about the capsizing of the ‘getek’ amidst powerful waves around 4:30 PM local time on Saturday.
“It was reported that a family from Palembang had come to visit their relatives in Dusun II Village, Sejagung Subdistrict, Rantau Bayur. They parked their car at their relative’s house and borrowed the family’s ‘getek’ to travel to Dusun II,” he stated on Sunday (10/2/2024).
During the journey, at approximately 2:30 PM, the ‘getek’ they were aboard veered off course and overturned after being hit by waves in the Musi River.
On the first day of search and rescue operations, not far from the accident site, Anita and Ausmala Fitri were found lifeless. However, Jamaludin, another victim, remained missing.
On the second day of search efforts, utilizing rubber boats and local vessels, search teams managed to locate Jamaludin (40) lifeless, approximately 300 meters downstream from the accident site.
“The victim was found deceased, caught in fishing nets in the river during the search operation conducted by the joint SAR team. Subsequently, the victim was evacuated and transported to the family’s residence in Palembang for funeral arrangements,” he concluded.
The tragic incident serves as a poignant reminder of the unpredictable nature of waterways and the importance of safety measures during water transportation, especially amidst adverse weather conditions. The community mourns the loss of these lives and extends heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.