Koba begins salvage works to lift 660 tons of tin from sunken ship

PT Koba Tin, the second largest tin producer in Bangka and Belitung province after the state owned tin mining company PT Timah, has begun salvage works to lift about 660 tons of tin metal estimated to worth up to Rp 48 billion from the sunken ship KM Prima Indah off the Bangka island, Kompas reported on Friday,

The salvation works which would be conducted in cooperation with PT Samudra Rasalmi Teknindo, would last for four months due to unfavorable weather condition.

The police chief of Bangka and Belitung, Imam Sudjarwo, said that the salvation works for the tin metal in the sea area, notorious for its rampant piracy activities would be closely guarded by the police.

The KM Prima Indah ship carrying 660 tons of tin metal Pangkal Pinang was pirated in October, last year in a sea location about 35 miles from the city. However, after taking part of the metal, the pirates threw the ship crews into the sea and then sank the ship on fears that their activities would be detected by the police.

The crews who were latter found by the navy patrol told the incident. (*)