Another maritime disaster struck Indonesia yesterday when a ferry capsized in the waters off the Selayar Islands in South Sulawesi’s Bulukumba regency. According to the latest update from the National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPT) this afternoon, 155 passengers have been rescued while 34 have been confirmed dead.
Tim SAR Gabungan yang dipimpin Basarnas berhasil evakuasi korban penumpang KMP Lestari Maju yang mengalami kecelakaan laut di Perairan Selayar. 34 orang meninggal dunia dan 155 orang selamat. Total korban yang sudah di evakuasi 189 orang. pic.twitter.com/bnHMiI2Y1v
— Sutopo Purwo Nugroho (@Sutopo_PN) July 4, 2018
One of the doomed boat’s passengers live-streamed video of the vessel as it was sinking. The video has since gone viral and South Sulawesi police confirmed it is genuine.
In the video, the person shooting the video shows the condition of the vessel and some passengers as the vessel rapidly takes on water. He also makes clear that the reason for the live-stream was purely to alert authorities on land to their dire situation.
The video was streamed to a Facebook account named Ekha Nursalam Suardi but it is unclear if that is the real name of the person who shot it. Neither that name nor any part of it appears on the list of passengers released by authorities.
The ferry, named the KM Lestari Maju, began sinking on Tuesday afternoon amid rough seas and extreme weather. The ship’s captain attempted to steer the vessel towards land in an effort to save lives and it was grounded around 200 meters from the shore.
Update Laka KM Lestari Maju pada 3/7/2018 pukul 23.00 WITA
Korban tewas sekarang sudah 24 orang, 74 selamat, 41 masih dicari. Evakuasi masih berlangsung. Sesuai manifes jumlah penumpang 139 orang dan 48 unit kendaraan. pic.twitter.com/s45NBxXOM8
— Sutopo Purwo Nugroho (@Sutopo_PN) July 3, 2018
Rescue efforts were and continue to be hampered by extreme weather in the area. Many of the vessel’s passengers were trapped in the overturned ferry overnight until authorities were able to rescue them this morning.
Korban Kecelakaan KMP Lestari Maju di Perairan Selayar bertambah. Data korban per 4/7/2018 pukul 01.54 WITA terdapat 29 orang meninggal dunia, 69 orang selamat dimana 34 orang masih dirawat di rumah sakit, dan 41 orang masih dicari. Evakuasi dilanjutkan. pic.twitter.com/sD9l4Ryqiv
— Sutopo Purwo Nugroho (@Sutopo_PN) July 4, 2018
This latest maritime disaster comes less than three weeks after another ferry sank on June 18 on Sumatra’s Lake Toba. On the same day the KM Lestari Maju capsized, authorities called off search efforts for the 164 passengers believed to have drowned in that prior disaster.
Indonesia has terrible record in terms of maritime safety, with boats often taking on far more passengers that they are capable of while safety precautions such as having a sufficient number of working life jackets are routinely ignored. President Joko Widodo promised the government would overhaul maritime safety standards in the wake of the Lake Toba tragedy but little action has been taken yet.
