Search halted for ship accident victims

Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar

Authorities in South Sulawesi ceased on Monday the search for survivors of an overloaded ship that caught fire and exploded minutes later in waters adjacent to the province last Friday, leaving at least 16 people dead.

The search was halted despite the fact that the captain of the ill-fated ship KM Kenanga, identified as Hardin, was still missing. It remains unclear whether he was killed in the accident or has gone into hiding.

Baubau Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Sarbini said on Monday that search and rescue workers had ceased activities in South Sulawesi waters, where the boat exploded, after all of the victims had been evacuated, except for the captain.

"As of now the ship's captain has not yet been found. He is potentially an important source of information who could help explain the cause of the tragedy," Sarbini told The Jakarta Post.

The search and rescue operation involved two speedboats and three ships close to the site of the explosion, some two nautical miles from Batu port, Baubau.

Earlier reports said at least 16 people, including three children, were killed in the accident and 85 people rescued. A source at Murhum port, Baubau district, who wished to remain anonymous, said the death toll had risen to 20.

Sarbini refuted the figures and claimed that only 13 of the 80 passengers aboard had died and seven others were injured.

It was reported earlier that around 200 people were aboard the ship plus its nine-man crew, and it was loaded with gasoline and diesel fuel.

The passengers were mostly migrant workers returning from Malaysia who had just arrived in Batu aboard the ship MV Bukit Siguntang.

The workers were heading to Talaga, a district where many of the locals work overseas.

Sarbini said all the dead had been buried, with the survivors evacuated and handed over to their respective families.

Officials in Makassar said the ill-fated ship caught fire and then exploded about one hour after sailing from Batu to Kabaena island in Southeast Sulawesi.

After exploding, the ship sank.

It remained unclear on Monday what had caused the tragedy. Local police were questioning seven of the nine-strong crew who survived the accident.

Sarbini blamed the missing captain for the tragedy and said his personnel were continuing to look for him, although the search for survivors had been halted.

Asked when the local authorities would reveal the cause of the accident, Sarbini said, "It all depends on the investigation into the captain."