15 people killed in ship collision

PALEMBANG, South Sumatra (JP): Fifteen people were killed and five others were missing after a traditional wooden ship, the KM Halimun 02, carrying 156 people, including six crew members, collided on Monday night with the PL Otelo, a ferry belonging to state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, on the Musi River here.

South Sumatra Police spokesman Adj. Comr. M. Sulaiman confirmed the accident on Tuesday, saying that all of the fatalities were passengers on the KM Halimun 02.

Sulaiman said the KM Halimun 02 was on its way from Karang Agung, Musi Banyu Asin, Palembang, to Java when it collided with the PL Otelo at about 10 p.m. The Pertamina-owned ferry had just left Plaju Harbor for Sungai Lais Harbor to pick up employees of the company.

The accident occurred near marine and water police posts, some 10 kilometers north of Palembang.

Sulaiman said as many as 24 members of a search and rescue team had been deployed to search for the five missing people.

"The captains of the two vessels are in police custody for further questioning," he said, identifying the captain of the KM Halimun 02 as Mat Nur bin Jungkil and the captain of the PL Otelo as Abu Husin bin Syamsuddin.

Husni Majeri, the spokesman for Pertamina's provincial branch office, said the KM Halimun 02 had failed to turn on its lights.

"We (Pertamina) are providing coffins and making arrangements to transport the corpses to their respective hometowns," he said.

The deceased have been identified as Atirahayu, Rojiah, Sutiyem, Soleha, Jono, Syahril, Sulaiman, Eka, Pairah, Daris, Kosim, Sajuri, Nami, Sumiyati and M. Jalaludin. (33)