"KNKT team today start investigation on the crash between a fishing boat and a Vietnamese vessel in the waters," chief of shipping accident investigation Capt. Aldrin Dalimunte said in a statement, Monday.
Three members of KNKT team has questioned 12 survived crews of Mulya Sejati fishing boat from Juwana, Pati district in Central Java.
"KNKT team has arrived at Pacitan, Lamongan to question the 12 survived fishing crews," he said.
The team would continue its investigation in Tuban and visit the crash site in Java Sea.
Three crews of a local fishing boat died and 12 others are still missing when their boat collided with a Vietnamese-flag trading vessel MV Thaison 4 in the waters off Tuban district of East Java at 04.00 am, last Saturday.
"The number of KNKT team members will be added, and I will also involve in the investigation," he said.
The team would also seek informations from 22 crews of the Vietnamese ship, which currently has anchored at the site, and took the ships Voyage Data Recorder (VDR).
"VDR has a similar function with a planes black box, to record the last communication of ships crews before an accident happened," he explained.
Result of the investigation would be reported to the President and Transportation Minister.
"The result is expected to answer questions on the cause of the collision," he added.
National Search and Rescue team has expanded its searching area to 20 miles from the crash site.
Three bodies of the fishing crews were sent to R. Dr. R Koesma Tuban Hospital.
Reported by Slamet Agus Sudarmojo
(S022/o001)
Editor: Suryanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
