Final ferry death toll is 338
Final ferry death toll is 338
JAKARTA (JP): The final death toll of last month's Gurita ferry tragedy reached 338, including seven foreigners, Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto said yesterday.
"The figure is final," Haryanto announced after briefing President Soeharto at Merdeka Palace about the investigation into the sinking of the ferry off Aceh on Jan. 19.
The ministry arrived at the figure after checking and double checking all possible data, he said.
Previously, there was confusion about the number of people on board the ferry when it sank. Only 94 people were physically accounted for -- 39 survivors and 55 bodies fished from the sea.
Some of the missing are believed to be in the ship at the bottom of the sea, and others may have been eaten by sharks. All the missing have been officially proclaimed dead.
Five foreigners survived -- two Britons, a German, an American and a Taiwan citizen. Of the seven who did not make it, one was an Irish woman and another was a German woman. The nationalities of the other five were still not available yesterday.
The Aceh Police lost six officers in the tragedy, including the chief of its Sabang precinct.
Haryanto refrained from admitting that the ferry was grossly overloaded, saying that the matter, including the possibility of a crime having been committed, would be handled by the maritime court.
Nor would he confirm an earlier independent police report that the ferry was leaking when it set sail, or that the captain had refused to sail but gave in after he was threatened with dismissal by his superiors.
On Wednesday, police announced that six people were directly at fault for the tragedy: two port officials and four officials of PT ASDP, the state-owned ferry service company.
"Let's wait for the court hearing. The maritime court has the authority to analyze the situation from all aspects: technical, procedural, etcetera," the minister said.
A few days after the sinking, the minister told the House of Representatives that the ferry was only carrying the 210 people listed in its manifest. He insisted that if the ferry was indeed carrying more passengers, the number could not have been more than two dozen. He misjudged by at least 143 people.
When confronted yesterday, he said he had based his first statement on reports he received from Aceh.
The Gurita sank while sailing from Malahayati/Krueng Raya near Banda Aceh to Sabang, the main town on Weh Island just opposite Aceh.
Two reasons
Aceh Governor Syamsuddin Mahmud said there were two reasons so many people were on the ship on Jan. 19.
First, the Gurita, which sailed its route once a day, was being repaired on Jan. 18 and was therefore out of operation. The governor did not disclose what repairs had been needed. This meant those who had planned to travel on Jan. 18, had to wait until Jan. 19.
The second reason was that many Weh islanders were returning home for a big feast of meat, a tradition on the island before the start of Ramadhan.
In addition to the 377 people, the ferry was also carrying 11 cars, 19 motorcycles, 10 tons of cement, and 64 tons of other cargo.
Haryanto said the investigation found that Gurita sailed into stormy weather, with waves reaching as high as two meters.
"The ship was hit by large waves on its starboard side three times. On the third strike, the ship lost its equilibrium and capsized," he explained.
The ship was a 1970 model, had been retrofitted with a new engine, and was therefore seaworthy, he said.
The minister dismissed the likelihood of salvaging the ship, as the President suggested, saying it would be too costly.
Meanwhile, PT Jasa Raharja, the state life insurance company, said it will pay a total of Rp 2.3 billion ($1 million) in claims for the dead passengers and lost vehicles.
Jasa Raharja President Ida Bagus Putu Sarga, who was also present at yesterday's briefing, said the company will pay a Rp 6 million settlement for each passenger killed.
"We hope to pay them on Feb. 19. The checks for the foreign victims will be given to their respective embassies," he said.
Haryanto said President Soeharto also ordered the Aceh administration to take care of the children orphaned in the Gurita sinking.
The President offered financial assistance from his Dharmais Foundation, and also scholarships through the Supersemar Foundation, Haryanto said.
Both charity foundations are run by Soeharto in a personal capacity. (emb)