Captain named suspect in Indonesian ferry disaster

Jan 19, 2009, 8:36 GMT

   Jakarta - Police have named the captain of a passenger ferry that sank off the Indonesian province of West Sulawesi a suspect for negligence in the accident that left more than 220 people missing and believed dead, officials said Monday.

   Only 35 people including the captain were known to have survived, and nine bodies were found after the accident, leaving more than 220 others unaccounted for.

   South Sulawesi police spokesman Heri Sabuansuari said the captain, identified only as Sabir, was a suspect for negligence that caused loss of life.

   If found guilty, Sabir could face to a maximum of five years imprisonment.

   The Teratai Prima ferry, carrying 250 passengers and 17 crew members, sank on January 11 in rough seas off the port town of Majene while en route from Pare-Pare on Sulawesi island to Samarinda, East Kalimantan.

   Transport Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal said last week that a preliminary investigation showed the ferry capsized after it was hit by waves in stormy weather. He said there would be an investigation into why the captain set sail despite warnings about bad weather.

   The search operation for the missing would be extended until Tuesday, said Jaka Santosa, the coordinator for the search operation.

   After hours of sea-and-air search on Monday, no more survivors or bodies were found, Santosa said. Most of the missing passengers are believed to have been trapped inside the sunken ferry.

   Maritime accidents claim hundreds of lives every year in Indonesia, largely due to poor enforcement of safety regulations and overcrowding. Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, depends heavily on ocean transport.

   In December 2006, a ship with 638 people aboard sank off East Java province. Only 230 people survived.