The Jakarta Globe, September 29, 2012,
Surabaya. The deadly collision between a ferry and a cargo tanker in the Sunda Strait earlier this week may have been caused by equipment error, human error and poor traffic management, an analyst says.
About 30 people are still missing and feared dead after the Bahuga Jaya ferry, which had more than 200 people on board, collided with a cargo tanker early on Wednesday, as it was sailing from Merak Port in Banten to Sumatra.
Eight people were confirmed dead while 207 others were rescued alive.
Sea transport analyst Saut Gurning said bridge-to-bridge miscommunication may have led to equipment error.
“It could’ve been that the communication system devices failed to meet the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea [Solas],” Saut said.
He added that exhaustion may have contributed to the human-error factor as the accident occurred during the early hours. He also said a language barrier could have led to the miscommunication.
Saut also cited traffic management problems as another possibility for the accident, as the site of the collision was a crossway for both domestic and international ships.
Saut has suggested several recommendations for the Ministry of Transportation to follow.
Among them is to supervise and ensure that all ships use telecommunication systems that meet Solas standard and for the government to pay special attention to the management of ship lanes.
While the exact number of people on board is unclear, authorities said the vessel was loaded with several manned vehicles including trucks, cars and motorcycles.
“Based on the accounts by family relatives, about 30 people are still missing,” Lampung provincial search and rescue chief Saidar Rahman Jaya told AFP on Friday.
“Today is the third day since the accident. The possibility of them surviving is very slim. Our priority is to search for bodies believed to be trapped in their vehicles,” he said.
About 78 vehicles remain on board the ferry, which sank, Jaya said, adding that up to 130 rescuers including Navy divers were involved in the operation.
Lampung Police have named two crew members from the Singaporean tanker Norgas Cathinka, which collided with the ferry, as suspects for negligence.
The Lampung Coast Guard chief said they were unable to question one of the key witnesses from the collision, Salam Priyono, a crew member from the ferry, because he died in the accident.
“We were given the authority to investigate the case to reveal what caused both ships to collide while sailing at the Sunda Strait,” Adj. Sr. Comr. Edion said in Bandar Lampung.
He said the cargo tanker, which carried liquefied petroleum gas, was sailing from Brazil to Singapore.
The ships collided at 4:40 a.m. — one and a half hours after the Bahuga Jaya ferry left Merak Port.
za 29 sep 2012 - 19:59