Bali-bound ferry sinks, over 30 still missing

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): More than 30 people are missing after the Citra Mandala Bakti ferry traveling from Ketapang Port in Banyuwangi, East Java sank in the Bali Strait in the early hours of Thursday, leaving at least four passengers dead, officials said.

Jembrana Police chief Lt. Col. Happy Kartika said as of 6 p.m. on Thursday a total of 51 survivors were found in the ordeal. He added that some 500 rescue workers have been deployed to search the waters of the strait to find the missing passengers.

Of the bodies discovered on Thursday, only two of them were identified, namely Djufri, 67, a local from Klatakan in Jembrana regency and Iif Syafruddin, 25, a resident of Tasikmalaya in West Java, according to Happy.

There was confusion over the death toll, with some sources saying that at least eight died in the accident -- three bodies washed up at Pangambenan beach near Gilimanuk in Bali while five others were found on the shores of Banyuwangi.

Preliminary examination concluded that the Japanese-made ferry might have capsized at dawn around 3 a.m, according to Happy.

"Overcapacity is possibly one of the causes of the incident, but we'd better wait for the investigation," Happy said. At least 15 passengers have been questioned over the accident.

The 28-year-old ferry, reportedly carrying 15 cars and two motorcycles, left the Ketapang harbor at around 6 p.m. on Wednesday. It usually takes a ferry half an hour to reach Gilimanuk port in Bali.

According to head of Ketapang-Gilimanuk river and sea transportation office, Karngun Sedono, the ferry, belonging to PT Jembatan Madura Ferry, was loaded with 86 people, among them 14 crew members.

"It is certain that the ship was not overloaded," he said.

A source in the transport office said that a few minutes after the ship embarked, the ferry captain Abdul Rasyid Bandu called through the radio to inform about engine trouble.

Rescue ships were dispatched only two hours later at 7:55 p.m., the source, who requested anonymity, said.

He said the 266-seat ferry capsized after being hit by strong waves and winds while it was floating idle for sometime due to engine trouble.

"Sudden waves and strong winds have occurred quite often over the past couple of weeks," he said.

By late Thursday the wreckage of the ferry remained undiscovered.

The ferry accident is the second recorded this year in the country. On May 7, the Masnait ferry carrying at least 130 passengers sank in the Leihitu waters off Maluku's capital Ambon. The manifest listed 62 passengers and 12 crew members, but rescue teams recovered 41 bodies, while 85 people survived. (zen/edt)