Sinking of MV Teratai Prima

The sinking of MV Teratai Prima occurred on January 11, 2009, around 04:00 local time (January 10, 21:00 UTC) when a ferry carrying more than 300 people capsized in the Makassar Strait off West Sulawesi,[1] Survivors stated that the ferry had been slammed by 4-metre (13 ft) waves twice. The first one hit so hard that the ship became unbalanced (witnesses said the angle approached 30 degrees), before another wave hit from a different direction and sank the vessel.

Sinking of MV Teratai Prima
MV Teratai Prima prior to its sinking
Date11 January 2009 (2009-01-11)
TimeAround 04:00 a.m local time (UTC+8)
LocationBatu Roro, Makassar Strait, Majene, West Sulawesi, Indonesia
Coordinates03°27′00″S 118°47′00″E
Cause
  • Overloading
  • Inclement weather
  • Flooding on the engine compartment
Outcome
  • Capsized in Makassar Strait
Deaths9 confirmed
Non-fatal injuries35
Missing321 (presumed dead)
SuspectsSabir bin Andae, Captain
ChargesNegligence
Verdict9 years in prison

Indonesian officials stated that more than 300 people were aboard the sunken ferry. In the following days, 35 survivors were evacuated from the site of the sinking. More than 300 people were listed as missing, all of them were presumed dead. With the deaths of more than 300 people, the sinking is regarded as the deadliest maritime disaster in Indonesia since the sinking of MV. Senopati Nusantara in 2006.[2]

The National Transportation Safety Committee published the final report. The investigation found that the ferry was overloaded during the sinking. The Captain had also ignored warnings of bad weather from officials of the local meteorological agency. Further investigation revealed that during the disaster, water rushed into the engine compartment. The investigation also revealed that the cargo were not properly loaded so the center of gravity of the ferry had shifted. The ferry lost its stability and capsized to its side.[2]

Sinking

MV. Teratai Prima was a ferry that operated an inter-island ferry service, from Pare-Pare, South Sulawesi to Samarinda, the capital of South Kalimantan, which was located on the island of Borneo. It was a regularly scheduled ferry service. The ferry departed from Pare-Pare Harbour at 19:00 WITA (UTC+8). The ferry was carrying 365 passengers and crews and was also carrying cargo, mostly rice, weighing around 443 tonnes. The weather when it departed Pare-Pare was still in acceptable condition, with drizzle reportedly present.[2]

At around 02:00 local time, the crew of MV Teratai Prima called to the workers in Pare-Pare that the ferry was hit by a tornado. This was the last recorded transmission from the ferry.[2]

At 04:00 a.m local time, MV Teratai Prima reached an area called as Batu Roro. The weather was in adverse condition, with waves reportedly reached a height of 3–4 meters.[3] Data from local radar showed that the ferry was in a stormy weather. Most of the passengers were sleeping. As waves hit the ferry repeatedly, it started to sway. The ferry then began to list to its side, with an angle of 30 degrees. As another wave hit the ferry, it immediately capsized to its starboard.[2]

Survivors stated that most of the passengers were sleeping inside the deck when the capsizing happened.[4] Immediately after its capsizing, the ferry sank. Since the disaster occurred in less than 5 minutes,[3] most of the passengers had no time to react. The ferry sank with more than 300 people trapped inside.[2]

Search and rescue

As contact was lost, search and rescue personnel were dispatched onto the area. First report came from a fisherman nearby. In the immediate hours after the disaster, numerous ships and fishing boats arrived at the site of the disaster. At least 18 survivors were found and were evacuated to Majene. The Indonesian National Army dispatched aircraft and ships to the area. However, the rescue operation was hindered by the adverse condition of the weather. Many ships were called to leave the area, while several other ships were told to stay in the area.[5]

Crisis centers were set up in Samarinda. Relatives of the passengers on board were immediately contacted by authorities. There were confusion among the relatives, as the names of their loved ones were not on the list of the passenger manifest. According to officials, many passengers were not listed on the manifest. The manifest listed 250 passengers and crews on board, however reports stated that 357 people were on board the ferry.[3]

On the first day, 17 survivors were found by search and rescue personnel. Personnel from the Indonesian Navy, Indonesian Air Force, Indonesian Armed Forces and the Indonesian National Police were called to assist the search and rescue.[3] The survivors were evacuated to Pare-Pare.[6]

On 12 January, officials stated that the ferry was at a depth of 500 meters and was located at 3 miles from the coast of Majene. They added that the location of the sinking was around 6 miles from the crash site of Adam Air Flight 574. 108 personnel were deployed.[7] Lack of equipment and navigation further hampered the search operation. They added that another 6 survivors were found.[8]

On 14 January, Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla stated that Pertamina should join the search and rescue operation.[9]

On 17 January, the Head of the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency Ida Bagus Sanubari ordered to extend the search and rescue operation for another three days.[10]

On 19 January, officials stated that 44 victims were found, with 35 were found alive and 9 were killed. More than 300 passengers and crews were still missing. The search area was located in the south of Majene. They added that helicopters, military ships and planes were deployed to search for the missing passengers and crews and that the wreckage of the ferry was approximately at a depth of 1,040 meters. A memorial service to commemorate the victims were held by the families.[11]

As no more bodies were recovered from the sea, the search and rescue operation was stopped by officials on 20 January. Relatives gathered at the site of the sinking and threw flowers to the sea.[12]

Investigation

Minister of Transportation Jusman Safeii Djamal stated that members of the National Transportation Safety Board would arrive in Majene to investigate the disaster.[13]

Condition during the sinking
Radar image of the area where MV. Teratai Prima sank. The photo on the left shows the wave height while on the right shows the wind speed at the time of the sinking.

During a press conference on 12 January, Minister of Transportation Jusman Safeii Djamal stated that the ferry encountered severe weather condition near Majene. Based on the testimony from the captain, the ferry capsized as waves hit the ferry from the right side. He questioned the captain's decision to continue to Samarinda, even though officials from the local meteorological agency had warned about the presence of bad weather, later added that the captain should've canceled the service on that day.[14]

Radar images from the area proved that during the disaster the weather was not in good condition. According to the head of the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Sri Woro B Hardjono he stated that at the time of the disaster a cyclone-like phenomenon had occurred near the ferry. Winds were recorded at a speed of 84 km/h.[14] The maximum windspeed for a safe operation of ships is 56 km/h. Waves were estimated to be around 3–4 meters in the area. The area of the sinking itself is regarded as a challenging area as whirlpools are frequently spotted by sailors.[2]

Overloading

Investigators couldn't find the loading chart of the ferry. As such, they weren't able to determine the total weight of the ferry. They did find the passenger manifest. However, there were discrepancies on the real number of passengers and crews on board. Investigators had to calculate the weight based on assumptions. The crew noted that the cargo weighed around 443 tonnes and that there were 365 passengers on board. Calculation on both weights revealed that the ferry had been overloaded as much as 200% of its actual capacity.[2]

Several scenarios were made by investigators. One of the scenario caused the ferry to sink easily during a bad weather condition. The scenario that was used by investigators was a condition where the ferry was fully loaded with cargo and passengers and crews. Due to this condition, the freeboard of the ferry became small and water could easily enter the ferry due to its design.[2]

Free surface effect

As the freeboard of the ferry became small, water could easily enter the ferry from the left side of the hull. The water then flooded the deck. The 20 cm tall hatch, which was made by a wooden board, was damaged as waves with heights of 3–4 meters struck the ferry. The engine compartment was flooded and the free surface effect occurred on board.[2]

Criminal proceeding

On 19 January, the Captain of the ferry, Sarbi bin Andae, was declared as a suspect in the sinking by the police. The captain was accused of negligence and could face a prison sentence of at least 5 years.[15] On 10 August 2009, the District court of Pare-Pare sentenced Sarbi to 9 years in prison.[16]

See also

References
  1. "More than 250 feared dead after cyclone sinks Indonesian ferry". CBC News. January 12, 2009. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
  2. "Final Report" (PDF) (in Indonesian). NTSC. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  3. "Mengungkap Misteri Tenggelamnya KM Teratai Prima". Antara News. 13 January 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  4. "Inilah Kesaksian Philipus". Kompas. 13 January 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  5. "Pencarian korban berlanjut". BBC Indonesia. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  6. "Korban Selamat KM Teratai Dievakuasi ke Parepare". Tempo. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  7. "KM Teratai Prima Tenggelam di Kedalaman 500 Meter". Kompas. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  8. "Tim SAR Gabungan Kekurangan Alat Penyelamatan". Kompas. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  9. "Kalla: Pencarian Korban KM Teratai Terus Dilakukan". Liputan 6. 14 January 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  10. "Pencarian KM Teratai Prima Diperpanjang 3 Hari". Detik.com. 17 January 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  11. "Pencarian Masih Nihil, Keluarga Korban Teratai Prima Tabur Bunga". Tempo. 19 January 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  12. "Pencarian Korban Kapal Teratai Dihentikan". Liputan6. 20 January 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  13. "Presiden Instruksikan Cari Korban KM Teratai Prima". Kompas. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  14. "KNKT SELIDIKI KASUS TENGGELAMNYA KM TERATAI PRIMA". Indonesian Transportation Department. 16 January 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  15. "Nakhoda KM Teratai Prima O Jadi Tersangka". Kompas. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  16. "Nakhoda KM Teratai Prima Divonis Sembilan Tahun". Antara News. Retrieved 9 July 2018.

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