Sunken ferry is not seaworthy: Official
Sunken ferry is not seaworthy: Official
AMBON, Maluku (JP): The Masnait ferry which was sank on Sunday
killing at least 41 people, was not supposed to ply sea routes
because it was designed to operate on lakes and rivers, an
official said on Thursday.
Acting chief of the province's Ministry of Communications
office Bob Halattu told a hearing with local legislators here
that the ship was "in good condition" but was not strong enough
to negotiate strong waves and winds in an open sea.
"Riots that rocked the islands around Ambon forced the ship to
make a stopover in Gudang Arang Port to pick up passengers en
route to Waipirit Port on Seram island via the Leihitu sea, which
was not its original route," Bob said.
He added that the Masnait had replaced state vessels which
were not operational during the riots, which have subsided in the
past three months.
Bob said the vessel used to ply a shorter route between
Hunimua on Ambon island to Waipirit on Seram island, which took
less than an hour due to the steady and safe waters.
The boat was believed to be carrying at least 130 passengers
when it sank in the Leihitu waters off Ambon between Tanjung
Hutumuri and Tanjung Tial in Salahatu subdistrict. The manifest
listed 62 passengers and 12 crew members.
A rescue team has so far recovered 41 bodies, while 85 people
survived.
However, Bob refused to give details about the cause of the
incident.
"The investigation is underway to check for technical
problems. It is most likely that the ship was overloaded," he
said.
Relatives of the ferry's passengers visited the gubernatorial
office on Wednesday to demand that the provincial administration
clarify the death toll.
"Dozens are reportedly still missing and we want to know what
happened to them. We want details of the victims, the cause of
the accident and the institutions responsible for this disaster,"
the group's spokesman Robert Rikimahu said.
Bob said the casualties listed on the manifest were all
covered by insurance from the state company PT Jasa Rahardja.
"As for other passengers who were not listed, further
arrangements will be set. The insurance company will cross-check
the data with related institutions and relatives of the victims,"
he said. (48/49/edt)