On the afternoon of October 31, five minutes after leaving Gayam Harbor, the 46 GT passenger ship KLM Mila Jawa Indah hit a rock which broke the hull. The ship sank with 77 passengers and seven crew members onboard. Although the accident happened very fast, they were all saved as they were near the harbor and there were fishing boats nearby which rescued them.
The passenger ship was supposed to travel from Gayam Harbor at Sapudi Island, Sumenep Regency, to small islands around Madura Island, and stopping at Kalbut Port in Situbondo Regency.
Sumenep Police spokesperson, Adjunct Commissioner of Police (AKP) Widiarti, said fishermen who live around the port immediately went to rescue the victims in their fishing boats. All victims, who only suffered minor injuries and were in shock, were sent to a nearby hospital for treatment. However, the victims’ belongings could not be salvaged. According to police record, a victim named Kusmiyati from Situbondo Regency suffered a loss of IDR 500 million (US$32,200).
The KLM Mila Jawa Indah incident was the eighth sinking in Sapudi waters since the start of the year. In February, a ship loaded with 120 jerry cans of fuel caught fire at the Port of Sebandar Sepudi. In May, passenger ship Sabuk Nusantara 91 with 384 passengers hit a rock on its way to Kalianget Harbor, and KLM Anugerah Ilahi carrying building materials sank on its way to Batu Guluk Harbor.
In June, high waves capsized motorboat Fajar Nusantara, which then sank in the middle of Sapudi waters. In July, KLM Arta Jaya sank on its way to Masalembu Harbor. In August, KLM Aven Selon 03 caught fire while carrying 3,920 LPG cylinders on its way to Sapeken Island. In September, KMP Sabuk Nusantara 91 caught fire and one passenger died. In October, a fishing boat was hit by big waves and one fisherman died.
Badrus Zaman, marine transportation researcher, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) Surabaya, said the high numbers of accidents in Sapudi waters is a concern and they should be a warning to other ships to pay more attention to safety. He added all ship operators must ensure safety standards are followed, there are regular and periodic checks, and parts must be replaced as and when needed.
Darius Beda Daton, an official of the Indonesian Ombudsman, said the Department of Transportation in each region needs to re-check the requirements for the ship’s operational permit, and that the Port Authority Office (KSOP), which issues ship operational permits, must also periodically check on the ship’s safety compliance.
In an official statement to Maritime Fairtrade, Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi said shipping operators and ship owners must not to commit fraud by overloading passengers or cargo beyond the capacity of the ship. Ships with overloaded cargo or passengers have a much higher risk of accident.
Nur Rahmad, public policy researcher from Surabaya, said because the government did not place a high priority on ship’s safety, therefore there were many accidents. He said ship accidents did not get enough attention from the East Java Provincial Government. Because of the importance of Sapudi waters for ships from Java and Kalimantan and because of the high frequency of accidents, Rahmad wanted the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) to open a base in Sumenep Regency.
“Everyone looks to the top for direction and guidance. If the government, as the top regulator and enforcer in the country, is not serious about safety, what more can be said about ship operators and owners, who place making money first. If the news about the accident does not go viral on social media, it will most likely escape the attention of the government,” said Rahmad.
“This is ironic considering in East Java, there are many small islands where maritime transportation is often the only way to physically connect to the outside world. It is also a shame that Indonesia is also a regional maritime hub but the safety standard is just not up to par.”
Top photo credit: iStock/ icholakov. Stock photo of a U.S. Coast Guard rescue training.
