Bali-bound ferry sinks, over 30 still missing<\/p>\n
DENPASAR, Bali (JP): More than 30 people are missing after the
\nCitra Mandala Bakti ferry traveling from Ketapang Port in
\nBanyuwangi, East Java sank in the Bali Strait in the early hours
\nof Thursday, leaving at least four passengers dead, officials
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Jembrana Police chief Lt. Col. Happy Kartika said as of 6 p.m.
\non Thursday a total of 51 survivors were found in the ordeal. He
\nadded that some 500 rescue workers have been deployed to search
\nthe waters of the strait to find the missing passengers.<\/p>\n
Of the bodies discovered on Thursday, only two of them were
\nidentified, namely Djufri, 67, a local from Klatakan in Jembrana
\nregency and Iif Syafruddin, 25, a resident of Tasikmalaya in West
\nJava, according to Happy.<\/p>\n
There was confusion over the death toll, with some sources
\nsaying that at least eight died in the accident -- three bodies
\nwashed up at Pangambenan beach near Gilimanuk in Bali while five
\nothers were found on the shores of Banyuwangi.<\/p>\n
Preliminary examination concluded that the Japanese-made ferry
\nmight have capsized at dawn around 3 a.m, according to Happy.<\/p>\n
\"Overcapacity is possibly one of the causes of the incident,
\nbut we'd better wait for the investigation,\" Happy said. At least
\n15 passengers have been questioned over the accident.<\/p>\n
The 28-year-old ferry, reportedly carrying 15 cars and two
\nmotorcycles, left the Ketapang harbor at around 6 p.m. on
\nWednesday. It usually takes a ferry half an hour to reach
\nGilimanuk port in Bali.<\/p>\n
According to head of Ketapang-Gilimanuk river and sea
\ntransportation office, Karngun Sedono, the ferry, belonging to PT
\nJembatan Madura Ferry, was loaded with 86 people, among them 14
\ncrew members.<\/p>\n
\"It is certain that the ship was not overloaded,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A source in the transport office said that a few minutes after
\nthe ship embarked, the ferry captain Abdul Rasyid Bandu called
\nthrough the radio to inform about engine trouble.<\/p>\n
Rescue ships were dispatched only two hours later at 7:55
\np.m., the source, who requested anonymity, said.<\/p>\n
He said the 266-seat ferry capsized after being hit by strong
\nwaves and winds while it was floating idle for sometime due to
\nengine trouble.<\/p>\n
\"Sudden waves and strong winds have occurred quite often over
\nthe past couple of weeks,\" he said.<\/p>\n
By late Thursday the wreckage of the ferry remained
\nundiscovered.<\/p>\n
The ferry accident is the second recorded this year in the
\ncountry. On May 7, the Masnait ferry carrying at least 130
\npassengers sank in the Leihitu waters off Maluku's capital Ambon.
\nThe manifest listed 62 passengers and 12 crew members, but rescue
\nteams recovered 41 bodies, while 85 people survived. (zen\/edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bali-bound-ferry-sinks-over-30-still-missing-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}