Clash aboard fishing vessel leaves seven crew members dead

Clash aboard fishing vessel leaves seven crew members dead
August 19, 2019 https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/08/19/clash-aboard-fishing-vess...

Down they go: Indonesian authorities destroy seven of 75 foreign-flagged fishing vessels in waters off Belawan in Medan, North Sumatra, on April 1. (AFP/Gatha Ginting) /small>
Seven people have been killed in a fight among crew members of a fishing ship in the Dobo Sea, Aru Islands, Maluku, on the weekend.

“Three crew members are currently controlling the vessel,” Indonesian Navy spokesperson First Admiral Mohammad Zaenal said on Monday, as quoted by tempo.co.

Meanwhile, dozens of other crew members were reportedly taken hostage.

Five of the deceased reportedly died on board, while the other two drowned in the sea after jumping off the vessel, along with nine survivors.

The Navy, however, had yet to start a negotiation with those controlling the vessel, KM Mina Sejati, although they had deployed eight personnel to monitor the situation from a close range since Saturday afternoon.

Choppy waters were reportedly hampering efforts of the security personnel from entering the ship. The waves were predicted to reach 1 to 3 meters, Zaenal said. “Such conditions are risky for us,” he added. (vny)