Six die when passengers boat capsizes in Maluku

M. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Ambon

Six people died when a fully loaded passenger boat capsized off the coast of Southeast Maluku regency on Sunday.

Spokesman for the Maluku Police, Comr. Endro Prasetyo, said on Wednesday that the KM Taruma Jaya which operated on Ngadi island, Tual, sank as it might have exceeded its passenger and baggage capacity.

Besides 85 passengers and six boat crew members, the ship was believed to be fully loaded with passengers' baggage.

Endro said the weather was quite favorable, there were no huge waves or strong winds at the time of the accident, which indicated negligence on the part of the crew.

He added that the accident occurred when passengers moved toward the bow of the boat to see the lights of PT Dinamika Banda Sejahtera factory as the boat was passing the factory. The boat was on its way from Tamuwurhir village to Tual regency.

The shifting of the passenger load caused the boat to rock and overturn because it was too heavy at one end.

Six passengers were reported killed, including a three-year- old boy named Muitahati Ohaikenan.

The bodies of the five other victims, Ali Asgar, Rusdin Sibudun, Fadli Ohoiler, Suharman Letsoin and Ibu Buya Letsoin, have been claimed and buried by their relatives.

Ambon port administrative chief, T. Hutasoit, when asked for confirmation, maintained that the mishap had not occurred because the boat was overloaded.

He said that the main cause of the accident was that the passengers had crowded into the bow of the boat.

The imbalance in the load caused it to roll and capsize.

"The boat apparently sank because almost all of the passengers had crowded into the bow of the boat which caused it to lose stability and eventually sink," said Hutasoit.

Hutasoit said that he had received information from the Tual harbormaster indicating that the boat sank between Ubur island and Dula island. Tual harbor authorities received information on the accident at 8:30 a.m. on Monday.

Police have named the skipper of the boat, Amin Elel Wahau, 25, as a suspect due to negligence. Amin is now being held by the Kei Kecil Police awaiting further legal procedures.

KM Taruma Jaya was a traditional passenger boat with a load capacity of seven gross tonnes, which traveled between Tayando island and Tual. The boat was reportedly not carrying any life vests.