21 die in Talaud ferry accident
Jonker Rumthe, The Jakarta Post, Manado, North Sulawesi
Residents of the Talaud islands held a memorial ceremony on Friday for those who died in the ferry accident in the waters off Kabaruan island. The island is among the Talaud islands and lies some 300 kilometers north of Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province.
The wooden inter-island ferry, packed with some 180 wedding guests, sank on Thursday night.
"They were on their way to a wedding. They were wearing their best clothes," said Sukardi, search and rescue chief of the Manado police, as quoted by AFP.
At least 21 people were reported dead, seven missing and nine others severely injured in the accident. The remaining passengers were rescued by fishermen working in the area.
Chief of the Talaud Police Comr. F. Timbar said on Friday that the 15-meter-long, four-meter-wide ferry had traveled from Meronge subdistrict, Lirung island, to Talaud regency.
On board the ferry -- called the Beringin Jaya ferry -- was a group from Meronge subdistrict, who were on their way to the wedding of Kelvin Manopode and Mariati Taroreh, in Damau subdistrict on the neighboring island of Kabaruan, which is also located in Talaud regency.
It takes a few hours to travel by sea from Lirung island to Kabaruan island, which are both among the Talaud islands.
On the way to Kabaruan island, the weather took a turn for the worse. A strong wind and big waves caused the ferry to rock wildly, causing the passengers to panic. Water then started to swamp the ferry.
The ferry, which has a maximum capacity of 75 passengers, started to sink some 20 kilometers off Kabaruan island, which was at that time within sight.
Women and children struggled to stay afloat as many were unable to swim. Others were able to survive until help reached them.
Admiral Gunadi, the chief of the Navy in Manado, said that he received a report on the incident on Thursday night at 8.30 p.m. "We immediately sent a Supanto frigate to the location," he said on Friday.
Romeo Mirino, an officer of the Sangihe naval base, said that survivors were taken to Kabaruan island for medical treatment. "The cause of the accident was rough seas and the excessive number of passengers," Mirino said, as quoted by AFP.
Ferry accidents have often occurred in Indonesia, which is the world's largest archipelago.
The accidents are mostly due to overcrowding and bad weather.
The government has been blamed for the high number of ferry accidents as it has not imposed, nor implemented, strict safety regulations for sea transportation.