Headline: Concerted Effort to Find Missing Infant in Surabaya‘s Waterways Enters Fourth Day
Surabaya, Indonesia – The joint search operation to find a missing infant in Surabaya’s waterways has reached its fourth day, with authorities conducting multiple sweeps of both rivers and gutters. Led by a combined team including the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) and Surabaya’s local disaster management agency (BPBD), the mission remains relentless despite the elusiveness of any traces of the child.
Eko Aprianto, the commander of the joint search and rescue (SAR) team in Surabaya, addressed the media near the Makmur River in Wiyung, Surabaya on Friday morning, December 27, 2024. He revealed that the team has conducted five separate searches along the Babatan channel, from its starting point to the outskirts of Graha Family, with no signs of the infant found.
"We’ve scoured the gutters from the initial point of contact until here at the river. We’re ensuring that no possibility is left unexplored, even if it means searching areas that might not typically harbor such discoveries," Eko explained.
Today, the search efforts have been bolstered with two teams – one specialized in land operations and another skilled in river rescue. An impressive fleet of three heavy machinery and six boats support their work, with a total personnel strength estimated between 60 to 70.
In an endeavor to keep the public informed and Zakaria bin Zainal Abidin’s family hopeful, Eko shared insights into the search progress. "Now that the water has receded, the currents are gentler, making it more likely for the child’s body to emerge."
As the harsh reality of the situation persists, search teams continue to press on, driven by the desperate hope to bring much-needed closure to the family. The city’s rescue personnel, along with hundreds of volunteers, remain determined to uncover any signs of the missing infant, notwithstanding the challenges that lie ahead.
Story by Risky & Vin & Ipag (Suarasurabaya.net)
Photo caption: Eko Aprianto, Commander of the Joint SAR Team in Surabaya, provides updates on the search for the missing infant in Wiyung, Surabaya, on Friday (27/12/2024). (Risky/Suarasurabaya.net)
