Over 310 missing after ship sinks in South China Sea

Over 310 missing after ship sinks in South China Sea

JAKARTA (JP): At least 319 people are still missing after a
ship sank on Sunday night in the South China Sea near Tambeland
Island off of West Kalimantan, a local news report said on
Wednesday.

The wooden-hulled ship, KLM Arta Rimba (not KM Hanaka as
earlier reported), was en route to Pakning River in the Riau
capital of Pekanbaru from Sintete Port in Pemangkat, a town in
the West Kalimantan regency of Sambas, some 150 kilometers north
of the capital of Pontianak.

"We are still unable to tell exactly how many have died. The
reports we've received so far are confusing. We must wait for the
(ship) captain's formal explanation," Ibrahim Umar, an official
in charge of sea transportation affairs at the provincial office
of the communications ministry, said.

As of Wednesday night, only 19 people were reported to have
survived the accident, including the ship captain, identified as
33-year-old Hermanto, a resident of Sambas, while at least 319
others were still unaccounted for.

"No more survivors have been found... the rescue team is
continuing its efforts to search for survivors," Ibrahim said.

Capt. Zainuddin, section chief in charge of sea traffic and
transport at the port administration's office in Pontianak, told
local correspondents the 19 survivors were rescued on Monday by
the crew of a passing Philippine vessel, MV Hamadabelize.

The vessel was en route to Manila, but changed its course to
Pontianak to drop off the survivors.

"The captain of the vessel did the correct thing because in
all circumstances captains are obliged to provide aid to a ship
in trouble," he said.

Zainuddin said he had asked all related parties for help,
including the Search and Rescue team and the Navy.

Navy headquarters in Jakarta said that it dispatched a
warship, KRI Rencong, and a Nomad plane to the site of the
accident.

If no more survivors are found, Sunday's accident will be the
country's third worst marine disaster in the last two decades. At
least 600 people were killed when Tampomas II sank off of East
Java in 1981, and 338 passengers died when the Gurita ferry sank
in 1996 near Sabang Island, Aceh.

Overloaded

Officials said the KLM Arta Rimba was not a passenger ship.

A copy of the ship's sailing permit obtained by the local
press showed that the 148-ton ship was only permitted to carry
the captain and seven crew members.

According to the permit, the ship set sail from Sintete Port
on Thursday.

Captain Hermanto, however, insisted on Monday that the ship
set sail on Sunday at 6 a.m., from Kuala Kapuas Port in order to
pick up passengers.

Ibrahim Umar said he summoned the head of Sintete Port to
explain the contradicting claims.

A survivor of the accident, identified as Aspar, 27, from
Tanjung Hulu village in Sambas regency's Tebas subdistrict,
backed up the captain's version of the story.

Aspar, who survived by holding onto a wooden plank, said he
boarded the ill-fated ship along with 15 others in his group --
including his brother and a nephew -- heading for work in Riau.

There has been no news on the fates of the members of his
group.

Hermanto, who has worked as a captain for six years, said the
ship sank after he and his crew members -- helped by passengers
-- failed to fix a leak in the ship's hull, 11 hours after it
sailed into the stormy South China Sea. The water pump in the
ship was broken.

Hermanto said he tried to send a distress call, but the ship's
radio also failed to work.

Panicked passengers began to grab anything that would float,
including wooden boards and jerry cans. There were only enough
life jackets for 200 passengers, Kompas quoted Hermanto as saying
on Monday.

The ship sank at 11 p.m. on Sunday, according to Hermanto,
although he told Kompas on the same day that the ship sank on
Monday at 11 p.m.

Of the 19 survivors, nine were still being treated at Soedarso
Hospital in Pontianak. The police have questioned some of the
survivors for their investigation into the accident. (aan)