While there are still no reports identifying the floating object that caused the Indonesian-registered “Sea Prince” ferry to sink on Sunday night, this recollection of one of the 97 rescued Singapore-bound passengers give a clear picture of what happened on board minutes before the accident.
“Ten minutes into the journey, we heard a loud collision and a scratching noise, then the boat rocked. Everyone was quiet and just looked at each other, wondering what had just happened,” Darini Soegiantoro, 32, recounted to The New Paper.
She who was on the ferry with her boyfriend and their friends.
“Then we heard the engine slow down. A crew member came and checked something on the floorboard,” she said. “I asked him in Bahasa Indonesia: ‘What’s going on? What happened? What are you doing there?’ and he said he didn’t know.”
The ferry attempted continued its journey after the engine started working again, but less than a minute later, the same scratching sound was heard.
“This time, the engine completely stalled. Some passengers stood, wondering what had happened,” according to the report. That’s when they sounded an alarm and a crew member rushed in, shouting, “Life vests! Life vests!”, said Soegiantoro.
The incident is being investigted by the Marine Port Authority of Singapore.
Photo: alantankenghoe via Flickr
