Preventing disasters

Preventing disasters

Since the very beginning of this year we have been rocked by a series of disasters. Floods engulfed Jakarta. Fires destroyed scores of homes in Penjaringan, North Jakarta and the National Police Headquarters in South Jakarta. Then a trainer aircraft crashed into a market in Bandung. And late last week the ferry Gurita sank in the waters off Weh Island in Aceh, with 210 people on board.

Natural disasters are almost impossible to predict. Volcanoes erupt and seas boil suddenly. Disasters caused by human error, however, can be averted. We do appreciate the measures taken by the Ministry of Transportation (concerning the Gurita disaster), which not only rushed aid to the victims but also formed a team to conduct an investigation into the cause of the tragedy.

On the other hand, we would like to underscore the information provided by our reporter regarding the condition of the generally old boats owned by PT ASDP, which operates ferries on the country's rivers, lakes and seas. Although still functional, this fleet needs rejuvenating, especially in light of the growing demand for ferry services.

-- Suara Karya, Jakarta