LAKE TOBA, Indonesia, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia on Thursday extended the searching period to three more days for the capsized boat and its missing passengers on Lake Toba.
"This would be the second extension period. Today is the 11 day of search operation. The extension was decided by Basarnas chief yesterday, takes into effect from June 28 to 30," Head of National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) North Sumatra province Budiawan said.
He was referring to the initial seven days of search operation since the mishap occurred on June 18 plus 3-day extension until June 27.
During those days, Indonesian search team, comprised of Basarnas crew, divers from the navy and volunteers, made intensive efforts to search for the missing ones and debris from the capsized boat in the lake.
They deployed ROV, trawls, boats, and helicopters in the operation.
Basarnas Chief Muhammad Syauqi said later in the day that the ROV managed to capture images of motorbikes and bodies which were allegedly from the capsized boat at a depth of around 450 meters.
"The objects captured by the ROV cameras were littered down there. I haven't seen the boat, but the rope believed from the boat was already seen," he said as quoted by local media.
The location of the finding has been marked by the search team, and divers planned to comb the areas around it on Friday.
The Sinar Bangun boat was capsized on June 18 while transporting passengers across Lake Toba from Simanindo port in Samosir to Tigaras port.
Nineteen survivors and three bodies have been found by rescuers, with 164 passengers missing.