Five killed in two sea accidents<\/p>\n
I.D. Nugroho and Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya\/Makassar<\/p>\n
Questions have been raised over the safety and sea-worthiness of
\nmaritime transportation in the country following two maritime
\naccidents yesterday in Tanjung Perak harbor, Surabaya, and the
\nGulf of Mandar, South Sulawesi, which has brought the tally of
\naccidents this month to five.<\/p>\n
Harbor police in Surabaya reported that three people were
\nkilled after cargo ship Uni Glory rammed into passenger ship KM
\nMandiri Nusantara at 8:30 a.m. local time off the coast of
\nGresik.<\/p>\n
Tanjung Perak harbor police officer Adj. Comr. Anjilo said the
\nthree victims -- Fitri, 6, her mother Sundari, 50, and Iwan
\nGunawan, 30 -- were passengers of the KM Mandiri Nusantara.<\/p>\n
Rescue teams had to cut through the wreckage of the ships with
\nheavy equipment to recover their bodies, which were trapped under
\nmetal debris. Police feared the death toll could increase due to
\nthe severity of damage to the passenger ship.<\/p>\n
Anjilo said all victims had been evacuated from the ill-fated
\nships and the wounded, some of whom were in serious condition,
\nwere being treated at Dr. Soetomo General Hospital in Surabaya.<\/p>\n
The officer said the victims sustained wounds from the impact
\nof the collision, as well as from wrenched and twisted metal
\nwreckage caused by the collision.<\/p>\n
One of the survivors, Yeyen, 37, had to have her left leg
\namputated, while Lia Gunawan, 21, and Kuat, 60, underwent
\nemergency operations for severe head injuries.<\/p>\n
The KM Mandiri Nusantara, which plies the Balikpapan-Surabaya
\nroute, was on its way to Tanjung Perak port, while Uni Glory had
\njust set sail from Surabaya container terminal when the accident
\noccurred.<\/p>\n
The collision between the two vessels left a 20-meter-long
\ngash on the starboard side of the passenger ship, while the cargo
\nship escaped any major damages. Vehicles and cargo aboard the
\npassenger ship could be seen through the gash.<\/p>\n
Faisal, a passenger from Depok, West Java, recounted the
\nhorror: \"All of a sudden, there was this big bang, our ship
\nshuddered and shook, and the passengers went hysterical.\"<\/p>\n
He said no alarm was heard before the collision happened.<\/p>\n
Police are still investigating the cause of the accident.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away in the Gulf of Mandar,
\nSouth Sulawesi, two people drowned when a fishing boat carrying
\nlocals performing a ritual commemorating the Ascension of Prophet
\nMuhammad capsized after it was hit by strong waves.<\/p>\n
Majene Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Haryono said 40 people were
\non board the fishing boat Mercedes when the mishap occurred.<\/p>\n
\"The boat had only moved 10 meters from shore when the wave
\ncame and overturned it,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said victims Haslina, 25, and Hasria, 12, died instantly,
\nwhile Sitti Aliah, 30, Hasria's mother, died of a heart attack
\nbrought on by the news of her daughter's death.<\/p>\n
The recent accidents came only a few days after another
\nmaritime accident in which seven people died and 10 others went
\nmissing when a traditional boat sank on Monday in the waters off
\nTopang island, Bengkalis regency, Riau province.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, passenger ship KM Wimala Dharma capsized
\non Sept. 7 in the Lombok Strait, killing six people. Three days
\nlater, another boat overturned in the same waters, leaving three
\nmissing.<\/p>\n
Safety regulations are often poorly enforced and boats tend to
\nbe overloaded in Indonesia, the world's largest archipelagic
\nnation, where sea travel is a common form of inter-island public
\ntransportation.<\/p>",
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