Six die when passengers boat capsizes in Maluku
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.