Many Missing in Sumatran Ferry Sinking

Indonesia seems to be cursed at the moment with yet another disaster and this time it was the sinking of a ferry of North Sumatra recently. Various news sources reported countless deaths but at the moment the estimate is near 200.

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. Many passengers listed on the manifest of the Surya Makmur Indah ferry were still unaccounted for although rescuers believe the actual number of missing could be higher.

Eyewitnesses report that people clung to debris and floated on the sea for more than an hour when a Navy boat passed through the area. At that time some 54 floating passengers were picked up by the KM Surya Makmur Baru. 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. Apparently two American men and one Australian were believed to be among the missing. The U.S. citizens were identified as Trevor Righter and Thom Gilnert and one Australian whose name is unknown are thought to have taken the ferry.

Sibolga Port administrator Frits Agamsyah told AFP the ferry departed Sibolga at 9 p.m. Wednesday for the 140 kilometre 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.

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.