Scores lost from Sumatra ferry carrying five times legal load

A search for 189 people missing from a sunken Indonesian tourist ferry carrying five times its legal load has entered its third night.

Relatives greet survivors at the Lake Toba ferry port on Tuesday. Picture: AFP

A search for 189 people missing from a sunken Indonesian tourist ferry carrying five times its legal load has entered its third night.

The Sinar Bangun had no manifest when it sank in rough seas on Sumatra’s Lake Toba on Monday afternoon, leaving officials scrambling to identify how many people were on board the ferry licensed to carry 43 people.

The Transport Ministry said initially 80 people were missing when the two-level, 15m-long ferry believed to be carrying 211 people sank while battling thunderstorms and 2m waves at the tourist spot in the north of the province.

Transport Minister Budi Karya last night updated the number of missing to 189 people. Three people were found dead on Tuesday, bringing the number of recovered bodies to four. He said there were only 18 survivors.

The Sinar Bangun provided transport link from ­Samosir Island in the middle of the lake to the mainland. The ferry left Simanindo port on Samosir at 4.40pm and sank about 30 minutes later.

All ferries on Lake Toba have been suspended pending an audit except for two steel vessels. The minister promised to increase safety by introducing four new ferries to replace wooden ones.

National Search and Rescue Agency chief Muhammad Syaugi apologised for the discrepancies about the number of missing, which he attributed to the lack of a manifest as well as authorities at the ports of departure and arrival providing vastly different passenger estimates.

The tragedy came at the height of the Muslim holiday of Idul Fitri Muslim, when tens of millions of Indonesians return to their home provinces to celebrate the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

The search effort involved 400 rescue workers, including 30 divers, an underwater drone, sonar equipment and half a dozen boats. Rescuers pulled clothing and bags from the water but no further survivors yesterday, leading distraught relatives to criticise a failure to enforce basic boat safety measures.

A grief-stricken Muhaimin, 61, lost eight members of his family including two sons, their wives and children.

“My sons, my daughter-in-laws and my grandchildren have been the victims of greedy businessmen who just want to take advantage of the holiday season without thinking of people’s safety,” he said. “It would not happen if they follow the rules. But they made money over our misery.”

Suwarni, whose 20-year-old son and his girlfriend were on the ferry, questioned why a boat licensed to carry 43 people was allowed to leave the docks with over 200 people on board, plus dozens of motorcycles.

“What kind of government is this that can’t protect their own people from unnecessary accidents? And after the accident they’re not able to find the victims,” she said.

The 18 survivors were found in the hours after the boat sank, despite attempts by the crew of another ferry to rescue people struggling in the water.

North Sumatra police chief Paulus Waterpau said it was possible manyvictims were still inside the ferry: “Many survivors told authorities that less than half of them had jumped into the water before the boat sank.”

Investigators are to formally determine the cause of the accident but police suspect the ferry sank because of bad weather and overcrowding.

Two weather advisories were issued on Monday, at 12pm and at 4pm, warning boats against sailing on Lake Toba because of strong winds and possible high waves.

Mr Syaugi said the search would continue until at least next Monday, focusing for now on the northern part of the lake where the boat sank in water 200m deep. The lake, formed out of an ancient super volcano, can reach depths of more than 400m.

Additional reporting: AP