Jakarta, Sep 16 — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said Wednesday that the government would significantly strengthen the country's disaster response capabilities, including expanding its helicopter fleet and acquiring large aircraft for aerial firefighting.
"I am determined to strengthen our mitigation capabilities. The agencies that deal with disasters must be strengthened," Prabowo said during a government talk programme, according to the state communications agency.
Prabowo said Indonesia needed hundreds of helicopters for firefighting and other disaster response operations, adding that he had already ordered several large aircraft for water-bombing missions, Xinhua news agency reported.
The President also warned that corruption in the management of state resources could undermine disaster response capabilities. Citing Indonesia's location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," he said savings from government spending should be redirected toward more productive programmes.
Prabowo said the government had saved more than 300 trillion rupiah (about 17 billion US dollars) during his first year in office, including by cutting ministry spending on anniversary celebrations.
Indonesia has faced widespread forest and land fires this year, particularly in Kalimantan, alongside other natural disasters.
Meanwhile, Indonesian authorities said that they are considering raising a ferry that sank in the Java Sea as search operations continued for 129 people still missing among the 243 people aboard.
The KM Virgo Transport 8 is lying at a depth of about 30 metres, said Mohammad Syafii, head of the National Search and Rescue Agency. Authorities are considering towing the wreck to shallower waters for the next phase of the operation.
The Indonesian Navy has advised leaving the vessel undisturbed for the time being while rescuers focus on locating victims, Syafii said.
"We still very much hope that victims will soon be found alive," he told a press conference in Banjarmasin. As of 10 pm Monday, 108 survivors had been rescued and six bodies recovered, leaving 129 people unaccounted for.
Search teams were operating across six sectors, which could be adjusted based on updated information, authorities said. The ferry lost contact early Sunday in waters off Masalembo while sailing from Surabaya to Banjarmasin.