83 people survive, 83 die in Lake Toba ferry accident
83 people survive, 83 die in Lake Toba ferry accident
MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): The authorities called off the
search for victims of Sunday's ferry accident in Lake Toba
yesterday. Eighty-three bodies were found.
The number of survivors from the sinking of the Peldatari
wooden boat was 83.
Rescue worker Dewasa Sijabat said no more bodies were found
yesterday, despite earlier estimations that there were 200
passengers aboard when the boat sank.
Sijabat said the only person the authorities were still
looking for was the ferry's captain who reportedly escaped.
The captain's house in Tomok subdistrict in North Tapanuli
regency was empty.
Workers rescued 32 passengers Wednesday.
At that time, a North Tapanuli regency official said the
number of survivors was higher but many were still too
traumatized to report to the authorities.
Sijabat said they knew about the extra 51 survivors because
they reported to the authorities.
The Peldatari was sailing Sunday at 8:30 p.m. from Parapat to
Tomok, a town on Samosir Island in the middle of Lake Toba.
The boat was carrying Tomok residents returning from the
closing of the 17th Lake Toba festival in Parapat.
The boat, which sank 100 meters from Tomok's shore, was found
and taken ashore Monday in a search and rescue operation led by
North Tapanuli Regent T.M.H. Sinaga, local military commander
Col. Hindarto and police chief Col. Tri Utoyo. The team involved
20 search and rescue experts.
The ferry's capacity was 60 people.
The Minister of Transportation, Haryanto Dhanutirto, has
ordered an investigation into the reported violations that caused
the accident, including overloading and the absence of proper
safety equipment.
Some reports said the boat was leaking.
The Peldatari accident came on the heels of another ferry
accident.
The MV Sentosa 10 wooden boat sank off Batam Island on
Saturday, killing 12 of its 85 registered passengers.
Antara reported the ferry was sailing from Telaga Punggur port
on Batam Island to Tanjung Pinang port on Bintan Island when it
sank in the waters known as the Lobam area off Batam island.
A Tanjung Pinang port spokesman said the last three bodies
found Tuesday were in such a bad shape that their identities
could not be established immediately.
The eight victims who had been evacuated earlier were Caroline
Panggabean, 66, Siti Alamsyah, 67, Henry, 24, Lidiawati, 30, Sri
Wahyuni, 20, Mulyati, alias Tan Ahu, 57, Enfone, 60, Warni, 12,
according to Antara. All lived in Batam or Bintan.
On Saturday, a three-year-old boy named Andi was rescued but
he died soon afterwards.
A navigation safety official at Tanjung Pinang port, Zam
Zakirwir, said several people trapped in the sinking ferry went
down with the vessel. (21/01/aan/swe)