Shillong, August 1: Reeta Sahani, a 64-year-old woman from India, has disappeared from the cruise ship Spectrum of the Seas while it was returning to Singapore from Penang. Her husband, Jakesh Sahani, 70, discovered her absence sometime during the night. He immediately informed the ship’s crew of the situation.

According to The Strait Times, the ship’s overboard detection systems were activated, indicating that something had fallen from the vessel into the Singapore Strait, a channel between the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea. Reeta Sahani remains missing, leaving her family deeply concerned about her current status.

The couple’s son, Apoorv Sahani, mentioned that his mother cannot swim. Jakesh Sahani had to go through a police interview that lasted several hours. The family has requested access to CCTV footage, but they have not received it yet. The ship’s crew believes that she may have jumped overboard, but her whereabouts remain uncertain.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was notified about the incident at approximately 7:50 am on Monday. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Singapore is leading the search efforts and has issued navigational safety broadcasts to vessels in the Singapore Strait and those in port to be vigilant and report any sightings.

The vessel was docked in Singapore earlier to assist with the investigation and subsequently departed around 4:30 pm. Royal Caribbean, the operator of Spectrum of the Seas, has reported the incident to local authorities promptly. The family, however, still hopes that Reeta Sahani might be found on the ship, and they remain anxiously awaiting further updates.