Over 310 missing after ship sinks in South China Sea<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): At least 319 people are still missing after a
\nship sank on Sunday night in the South China Sea near Tambeland
\nIsland off of West Kalimantan, a local news report said on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
The wooden-hulled ship, KLM Arta Rimba (not KM Hanaka as
\nearlier reported), was en route to Pakning River in the Riau
\ncapital of Pekanbaru from Sintete Port in Pemangkat, a town in
\nthe West Kalimantan regency of Sambas, some 150 kilometers north
\nof the capital of Pontianak.<\/p>\n
\"We are still unable to tell exactly how many have died. The
\nreports we've received so far are confusing. We must wait for the
\n(ship) captain's formal explanation,\" Ibrahim Umar, an official
\nin charge of sea transportation affairs at the provincial office
\nof the communications ministry, said.<\/p>\n
As of Wednesday night, only 19 people were reported to have
\nsurvived the accident, including the ship captain, identified as
\n33-year-old Hermanto, a resident of Sambas, while at least 319
\nothers were still unaccounted for.<\/p>\n
\"No more survivors have been found... the rescue team is
\ncontinuing its efforts to search for survivors,\" Ibrahim said.<\/p>\n
Capt. Zainuddin, section chief in charge of sea traffic and
\ntransport at the port administration's office in Pontianak, told
\nlocal correspondents the 19 survivors were rescued on Monday by
\nthe crew of a passing Philippine vessel, MV Hamadabelize.<\/p>\n
The vessel was en route to Manila, but changed its course to
\nPontianak to drop off the survivors.<\/p>\n
\"The captain of the vessel did the correct thing because in
\nall circumstances captains are obliged to provide aid to a ship
\nin trouble,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Zainuddin said he had asked all related parties for help,
\nincluding the Search and Rescue team and the Navy.<\/p>\n
Navy headquarters in Jakarta said that it dispatched a
\nwarship, KRI Rencong, and a Nomad plane to the site of the
\naccident.<\/p>\n
If no more survivors are found, Sunday's accident will be the
\ncountry's third worst marine disaster in the last two decades. At
\nleast 600 people were killed when Tampomas II sank off of East
\nJava in 1981, and 338 passengers died when the Gurita ferry sank
\nin 1996 near Sabang Island, Aceh.<\/p>\n
Overloaded<\/p>\n
Officials said the KLM Arta Rimba was not a passenger ship.<\/p>\n
A copy of the ship's sailing permit obtained by the local
\npress showed that the 148-ton ship was only permitted to carry
\nthe captain and seven crew members.<\/p>\n
According to the permit, the ship set sail from Sintete Port
\non Thursday.<\/p>\n
Captain Hermanto, however, insisted on Monday that the ship
\nset sail on Sunday at 6 a.m., from Kuala Kapuas Port in order to
\npick up passengers.<\/p>\n
Ibrahim Umar said he summoned the head of Sintete Port to
\nexplain the contradicting claims.<\/p>\n
A survivor of the accident, identified as Aspar, 27, from
\nTanjung Hulu village in Sambas regency's Tebas subdistrict,
\nbacked up the captain's version of the story.<\/p>\n
Aspar, who survived by holding onto a wooden plank, said he
\nboarded the ill-fated ship along with 15 others in his group --
\nincluding his brother and a nephew -- heading for work in Riau.<\/p>\n
There has been no news on the fates of the members of his
\ngroup.<\/p>\n
Hermanto, who has worked as a captain for six years, said the
\nship sank after he and his crew members -- helped by passengers
\n-- failed to fix a leak in the ship's hull, 11 hours after it
\nsailed into the stormy South China Sea. The water pump in the
\nship was broken.<\/p>\n
Hermanto said he tried to send a distress call, but the ship's
\nradio also failed to work.<\/p>\n
Panicked passengers began to grab anything that would float,
\nincluding wooden boards and jerry cans. There were only enough
\nlife jackets for 200 passengers, Kompas quoted Hermanto as saying
\non Monday.<\/p>\n
The ship sank at 11 p.m. on Sunday, according to Hermanto,
\nalthough he told Kompas on the same day that the ship sank on
\nMonday at 11 p.m.<\/p>\n
Of the 19 survivors, nine were still being treated at Soedarso
\nHospital in Pontianak. The police have questioned some of the
\nsurvivors for their investigation into the accident. (aan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/over-310-missing-after-ship-sinks-in-south-china-sea-1447893297",
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