Police name sunk ship's crew men as suspects<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra<\/p>\n
Police said on Wednesday they had officially named two senior
\ncrew members of an overloaded ferry as suspects over the sinking
\nof the boat in rough seas off North Sumatra province, leaving at
\nleast 28 people dead and 46 others missing and feared drowned.<\/p>\n
The captain, Effendi Simatupang, and chief engineer Fendi
\nPurba are being detained as suspects at the maritime police
\nstation in Tanjung Balai Asahan.<\/p>\n
Asahan Police chief Sr. Comr. Umar Saptono said the mishap
\nwould not have occurred if the two senior crew members were
\nstringent in ensuring that the boat was not filled over its
\nmaximum capacity of 60 passengers.<\/p>\n
The KM Mutiara Indah ferry, packed with about 140 passengers,
\ncaught fire and sank early on Monday while sailing north from
\nTanjung Ledong on a five-hour trip to Tanjung Balai Asahan in
\nNorth Sumatra.<\/p>\n
The boat caught fire three hours after leaving Tanjung Ledong
\nHarbor, when its cooling system failed to work properly and
\noverheated, officials said.<\/p>\n
The high temperatures caused the fuel tanks of at least three
\nmotorcycles in the hold to explode, they added.<\/p>\n
The police had also arrested five other crew members, but did
\nnot charge them, Umar said.<\/p>\n
He said survivors told investigators that the captain was
\nnegligent as he allowed the boat to carry passengers far over its
\ncapacity, while the chief engineer was also careless for not
\nexamining the engine room before the vessel departed.<\/p>\n
\"What they did was very dangerous, because it risked the lives
\nof passengers, and on this basis, the police have declared them
\nsuspects,\" Umar told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said the police were searching for the owner of the ill-
\nfated ship, identified only as Apeng, for questioning.<\/p>\n
Apeng could also be named a suspect if investigators found
\nthat the boat was not fit to sail.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, rescue workers comprising police, maritime and
\ncustoms officers, as well as local fishermen, continued the
\nsearch on Wednesday for more survivors or bodies. A team from the
\nNational Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), which deployed a
\nnumber of boats off Tanjung Balai Asahan, was also assisting in
\nthe search.<\/p>\n
However, they were unable to find more survivors or bodies on
\nWednesday, as the search was hampered by bad weather.<\/p>\n
\"The wind is too strong, making it difficult for us to find
\nmore survivors,\" chief rescuer First Lt. Budi Wahyudi said.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the team retrieved at least 20 bodies, bringing
\nthe total number of victims to 28.<\/p>\n
Umar said the search would be abandoned after a period of
\nseven days from Monday, but added that it could be extended at
\nthe request of the victims' families.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, North Sumatra's state-owned insurance company PT
\nJasa Raharja said it would compensate all affected passengers of
\nthe vessel upon presentation of their ferry tickets.<\/p>\n
The families of victims would each receive Rp 10 million in
\ncompensation and those passengers who suffered injuries would
\neach receive Rp 5 million for medical treatment, the company
\nadded.<\/p>\n
The fatal accident was the second to occur in the waters off
\nTanjung Balai Asahan. A similar accident happened in 1978 when
\nthe KM Permos ferry capsized, leaving hundreds of passengers dead
\nand missing.<\/p>\n
Accidents at sea are common throughout the archipelago, where
\nmuch travel is undertaken by ship. Most accidents involve
\noverloaded vessels. Safety regulations are often ignored or
\npoorly enforced, with shipowners frequently claiming their
\ninability to afford maintenance or repairs.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-name-sunk-ships-crew-men-as-suspects-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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