Captains declared suspects over fatal collision in Java Sea<\/p>\n
ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya<\/p>\n
The captains of two ships that collided in waters off Gresik
\nregency, East Java, last month are being detained as suspects in
\nthe accident, in which three people died, officials said on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
The two captains, Luh Jin You of Taiwan and Harijono of
\nIndonesia, could have their captain's licenses revoked if they
\nare found guilty of negligence that led to the deadly collision,
\nhead of East Java's sea traffic office I Nyoman Gede Saputra said
\nat Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya.<\/p>\n
\"The harshest sentence that could be handed down is the
\nrevocation of their licenses and the imposing of fines if they
\nare found guilty by the Maritime Court,\" he said.<\/p>\n
On Sept. 26, three people died and 16 others injured after
\ncargo ship the Uni Glory rammed into passenger ship KM Mandiri
\nNusantara off the coast of Gresik.<\/p>\n
The three dead people -- Fitri, 6, her mother Sundari, 50, and
\nIwan Gunawan, 30 -- were passengers of KM Mandiri Nusantara.<\/p>\n
Rescue teams had to use heavy equipment to cut through the
\nwreckage of the passenger ship to recover their bodies, which
\nwere found under metal debris.<\/p>\n
Five of the injured are still being treated at Dr. Sutomo
\nGeneral Hospital and the Surabaya harbor hospital for severe
\ninjuries.<\/p>\n
Chief of East Java's water police directorate Adj. Sr. Comr.
\nRudy Kussoy said the two charged captains had been held at his
\noffice since last Friday.<\/p>\n
The charges followed the questioning of on-duty navigation
\nofficers and engineers of the ships, he added.<\/p>\n
\"There is sufficient evidence to detain them as suspects,\"
\nRudy said, adding that the Taiwanese representative office in
\nJakarta had been advised of the Taiwanese captain's predicament.<\/p>\n
However, Nyoman questioned the legality of the water police
\ncharging the captains.<\/p>\n
\"Why so fast. As far as I know, the water police have no
\nauthority to declare them suspects. The charges should be based
\non an investigation by port authorities, the National
\nTransportation Accident Committee (KNKT) and the Maritime Court,\"
\nhe argued.<\/p>\n
Nyoman said it was unfitting that the water police had decided
\nto lay charges.<\/p>\n
\"Perhaps they used the Criminal Code for the basis of their
\ndecision. But the proper agency to handle such an accident is the
\nMaritime Court.\"<\/p>\n
He said an adverse reaction by the international shipping
\ncommunity to a deviation in procedure could affect Indonesia's
\nmaritime affairs.<\/p>\n
\"The maritime world has the same regulations on shipping.
\nThat's why the Maritime Court should handle this case,\" Nyoman
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
KM Mandiri Nusantara, which travels between Balikpapan and
\nSurabaya, was on its way to Tanjung Perak Port, while the Uni
\nGlory had just set sail from the Surabaya container terminal when
\nthe accident occurred.<\/p>\n
The collision left a 20-meter-long gash on the starboard side
\nof the passenger ship, while the cargo ship escaped any major
\ndamage. Vehicles and cargo aboard the passenger ship could be
\nseen through the gash.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/captains-declared-suspects-over-fatal-collision-in-java-sea-1447893297",
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