Another boat sinks in Lombok waters, three missing

Luh Putu Trisna Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara

Three people are missing feared drowned after a boat used to train sailors sank in Mekaki Gulf, South Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara early on Wednesday.

Five passengers survived the sinking that occurred only three days after a ferry, KMP Wimala Dharma, capsized in Lombok Strait, West Nusa Tenggara, which left up to 17 people dead.

Police and the West Nusa Tenggara seaport authority are searching for the missing men, identified as Sanjaya, 16, a student from the Bali-based Negara Oceanic Vocational High School and crew members Yulius, 30, and Imam, 18.

The 12-meter boat, usually used by students at the school and owned by Anwar from Surabaya, was carrying six crew members and two students. Student Rosadi, captain Afner Gultom, head engineer Jimmy and crew members Said and Yanto survived the accident.

The ill-fated boat departed from Benoa seaport in Bali on Aug. 19 and sailed to the Bali Strait and Lombok Strait respectively for a training and fishing expedition.

After cruising both straits, the boat headed for Lembar seaport in West Nusa Tenggara. As the boat was sailing through Mekaki Gulf its engine died on Tuesday at noon, according to Afner Gultom.

Afner then decided to drop anchor in the area, some 1.5 kilometers off the South Lombok coast. The boat was floating in the water for 12 hours when it suddenly capsized.

"At 00:30 a.m on Wednesday, the boat suddenly capsized and finally sank. We tried to swim, but only five of us could make it to shore," Afner said.

According to a local official, Santoso, the five survived after they were rescued by local fishermen sailing in the area.

Santoso said it was highly likely that the boat capsized and sank due to strong waves. He said that the area was notorious for its giant and unpredictable waves, making it prone to accidents. The survivors were taken to nearby Kemala Hikmah Police Hospital for further treatment.

Meanwhile, the 104 survivors of the KMP Wimala Dharma ferry accident returned home from Bali to West Nusa Tenggara. Local authorities are still searching for 12 missing passengers.

The causes behind the KMP Wimala Dharma accident are still to be determined, but sources said the ferry sank due to an engine failure and leakage. Passengers of the ferry had previously said that Lombok Strait was calm during the incident and it was unlikely that natural causes were to blame.

However, the government blamed natural causes for the accident.

"If there were strong winds, so what? It (the ship) was fate, which means it was a disaster," Minister of Transportation Agum Gumelar was quoted by Antara as saying.

Agum quoted the findings of a preliminary investigation by his office. He said the ill-fated ferry was seaworthy and had met all operational procedures.