Ship sinks off Ambon waters, 36 dead<\/p>\n
AMBON, Maluku (JP): At least 36 people died on Sunday when the
\nMasnait ship sank off the waters of Ambon island, officials said.<\/p>\n
Rescue workers and local residents saved 85 passengers, who
\nwere then evacuated to the police station in Telahu village and
\nits predominantly Muslim Tial village, about 30 kilometers east
\nof here.<\/p>\n
As of 9 p.m. local time, the rescue team was searching for
\nfour people, including two crew members, captain Christian
\nNendisa and navigator Yance Sopacua, in the waters off Ambon
\nisland between Tanjung Hutumuri and Tanjung Tial, where the ship
\nwas battered by huge waves and sank at about 10 a.m. local time
\non Sunday.<\/p>\n
According to a Navy official, three passengers, including two
\nwomen, died on the way to Halong Naval Hospital in Ambon after
\nbeing rescued. The bodies were taken to Paso Church in Teluk
\nAmbon, Baguala district and the Suli community health center,
\nabout 10 kilometers east of Ambon, later in the day.<\/p>\n
Eighteen bodies at Paso Church have been identified and taken
\nby their families who are from the Ambon islands. The victims
\ninclude the director of the Ambon-based Paramedics Academy, Ebi
\nNoya, Ary Kalahatu and a six-month-old baby, Ferry Susanto.<\/p>\n
Local residents found four bodies in Suli, and another four
\nwere recovered in Tial. Seven of the dead were taken to Dr.
\nHaulussy Hospital here.<\/p>\n
Preliminary investigations concluded that the ship might have
\nbeen overloaded as there were at least 125 people on board.<\/p>\n
Besides passengers, the ship was also loaded with 40 tons of
\ncement, 20 tons of fertilizer, two buses and two trucks.<\/p>\n
According to Maluku's sea transportation chief M.J. Manuputti
\nand head of the provincial office of the communications ministry
\nSuwandi, the listed people on board amounted to only 62
\npassengers and 12 crew.<\/p>\n
"The ship had been checked and it was in a decent condition to
\nsail. But it is very likely that the vessel was carrying many
\nmore unlisted travelers and that this was what caused it to sink
\nwhen it was hit by high waves," Manuputti said.<\/p>\n
A survivor, 35-year-old military officer Bey Papilaya, said
\nthat his wife was still missing and that the ship was overloaded.<\/p>\n
"We were saved by predominantly Muslim Tial villagers who
\nhappened to be fishing in the area. At first we were afraid that
\nthey were going to kill us because we are Christians, but they
\nguaranteed our safety and gave us food," Papilaya said.<\/p>\n
Another survivor, Ano Tuatanasse, said he and other passengers
\nswam for hours before being rescued by a Muslim resident in a
\ntraditional boat. "Thank God we were saved," he said. (48\/49\/edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ship-sinks-off-ambon-waters-36-dead-1447893297",
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