Ship sinks off Ambon waters, 36 dead

Ship sinks off Ambon waters, 36 dead

AMBON, Maluku (JP): At least 36 people died on Sunday when the
Masnait ship sank off the waters of Ambon island, officials said.

Rescue workers and local residents saved 85 passengers, who
were then evacuated to the police station in Telahu village and
its predominantly Muslim Tial village, about 30 kilometers east
of here.

As of 9 p.m. local time, the rescue team was searching for
four people, including two crew members, captain Christian
Nendisa and navigator Yance Sopacua, in the waters off Ambon
island between Tanjung Hutumuri and Tanjung Tial, where the ship
was battered by huge waves and sank at about 10 a.m. local time
on Sunday.

According to a Navy official, three passengers, including two
women, died on the way to Halong Naval Hospital in Ambon after
being rescued. The bodies were taken to Paso Church in Teluk
Ambon, Baguala district and the Suli community health center,
about 10 kilometers east of Ambon, later in the day.

Eighteen bodies at Paso Church have been identified and taken
by their families who are from the Ambon islands. The victims
include the director of the Ambon-based Paramedics Academy, Ebi
Noya, Ary Kalahatu and a six-month-old baby, Ferry Susanto.

Local residents found four bodies in Suli, and another four
were recovered in Tial. Seven of the dead were taken to Dr.
Haulussy Hospital here.

Preliminary investigations concluded that the ship might have
been overloaded as there were at least 125 people on board.

Besides passengers, the ship was also loaded with 40 tons of
cement, 20 tons of fertilizer, two buses and two trucks.

According to Maluku's sea transportation chief M.J. Manuputti
and head of the provincial office of the communications ministry
Suwandi, the listed people on board amounted to only 62
passengers and 12 crew.

"The ship had been checked and it was in a decent condition to
sail. But it is very likely that the vessel was carrying many
more unlisted travelers and that this was what caused it to sink
when it was hit by high waves," Manuputti said.

A survivor, 35-year-old military officer Bey Papilaya, said
that his wife was still missing and that the ship was overloaded.

"We were saved by predominantly Muslim Tial villagers who
happened to be fishing in the area. At first we were afraid that
they were going to kill us because we are Christians, but they
guaranteed our safety and gave us food," Papilaya said.

Another survivor, Ano Tuatanasse, said he and other passengers
swam for hours before being rescued by a Muslim resident in a
traditional boat. "Thank God we were saved," he said. (48/49/edt)