[Kabar-indonesia] 50 still missing in North Sumatra ferry sinking

[JoyoNews at aol.com]

The Jakarta Post
Friday, June 23, 2006

50 still missing in North Sumatra ferry sinking 

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

A. Hutagalung was among 82 survivors who struggled to stay afloat in rough 
seas after a ferry sank in waters off North Sumatra.

More than 50 other passengers listed on the manifest of the Surya Makmur 
Indah ferry were still unaccounted for Thursday night, although rescuers believe 
the actual number of missing could be higher. 

Hutagalung, 49, from Sibolga in North Sumatra said the ferry left Sibolga at 
9 p.m. Wednesday on its nine-hour trip to Nias Island. The ship went down in 
stormy conditions, with high waves sweeping into the water many passengers 
sitting on the ferry's second-floor deck. 

People clung to debris and floated on the sea for more than an hour when a 
Navy boat passed through the area, Hutagalung said. 

"At that time, some 54 floating passengers were picked up by the KM Surya 
Makmur Baru, including me," she said. "This is my last experience taking a ferry. 
No more." 

The Navy boat and two other vessels picked up 82 survivors, including the 
ship's captain and 10 crew, and took them to Sibolga Port before they were sent 
to the Lumban Tobing Hospital for treatment. 

Speaking from the Sibolga Naval Base, commander Lt. Col. Jaka Santoso said 
the number of missing passengers would likely rise. 

The ferry, which left Sibolga with 120 passengers and 13 crew listed on its 
manifest, also carried many children who did not buy tickets, he said. 

Jaka said two American men and one Australian were believed to be among the 
missing. 

The U.S. citizens, identified as Trevor Righter and Thom Gilnert, and one 
Australian, whose name is unknown, are thought to have taken the ferry. 

He said search and rescue teams would continue to look for the missing. 

"We will continue the search and rescue operation for several more days, but 
the weather is really bad, making it harder for us to find the missing 
passengers." 

Jaka said the authorities were working to find the cause of the sinking, 
which occurred about 60 kilometers from Sibolga Port. 

Sibolga Port administrator Frits Agamsyah told AFP the ferry departed Sibolga 
at 9 p.m. Wednesday for the 140-kilometer journey but lost all contact about 
two hours later. 

He said the boat had reported a leak but also encountered bad weather and was 
thought to have sunk west of Sibolga, just past Mursala Island. 

Another Sibolga seaport administrator, who declined to be named, denied 
allegations the ship was overloaded. However, he would not reveal other details, 
including the ship's allowable passenger capacity. 

Jaka said the sinking was the seventh accident in the rough waters between 
Sibolga and Nias in the past six months, with four vessels confirmed to have 
sunk there and two others still missing. 

Ferries are a popular means of transport between the country's 17,000 islands 
because sea connections are cheaper than air routes. Safety standards, 
however, are not strictly enforced and many ferries are dangerously overcrowded. 

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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