200 Still Missing in Lake Toba Ferry Accident

The second day of the search and rescue (SAR) effort for victims of the capsized KM Sinar Bangun in Lake Toba, North Sumatra, on Tuesday (19/6/2018) was fruitless. More than 200 passengers are reportedly still unaccounted for.

KOMPAS/NIKSON SINAGA

A relative of the missing victims of the KM Sinar Bangun passenger ferry that sank in Lake Toba, North Sumatra, prays at Tigaras Port in Simalungun regency, Tuesday (19/6/2018). The number of missing passengers from the ill-fated boat has risen to more than 200 people, while 18 passengers have been found and one passenger has been killed.

SAMOSIR, KOMPAS – Latest reports say more than 200 people are still missing after the Sinar Bangun ferry capsized on Lake Toba in North Sumatra on Monday (18/6) evening. A joint SAR team is getting reinforcements to comb the waters where the accident took place in the regencies of Simalungun and Samosir.

As of Tuesday, SAR personnel had yet to find the victims. Strong wind and high waves impeded the search effort. Due to limited equipment, the SAR personnel could only rely on visual observation. Thus far, 19 victims have been found, comprising 18 rescued passengers and one body, identified as that of 24-year-old Tri Suci Hadayani of Aceh Tamiang regency.

National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) head Muhammad Syaugi said the SAR team would continue its search effort. “We have requested remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs) from Jakarta to measure depth and detect sunken boats. Hopefully, this equipment will arrive here [on Wednesday],” he said.

On the second day of the search effort, the SAR team comprised of 350 personnel, one 412 SAR vessel, two LCR SAR vessels, one KMP Sumut II passenger ferry, three boats from the North Sumatra water police unit, one jet ski from the Simalungun Police and six inflatable boats. However, the inflatable boats and small vessels cannot be used during bad weather.

The KM Sinar Bangun had been sailing from Samosir’s Simanindo Port to Simalungun’s Tigaras Port on Monday afternoon. After sailing for 30 minutes, the vessel was hit by strong wind and high waves. The boat was operating without a passenger manifest.

At first, Samosir Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) officials believed the boat had carried 80 passengers. However, as of Tuesday 10:30 p.m., the victim management post at Tigaras Port had received reports from family members of 147 missing passengers. Meanwhile, the Simanindo Port received reports of 108 passengers gone missing. North Sumatra Police chief Insp. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw alleged possible fake reporting and said the police estimated the number of missing victims at around 200.

Divers deployed

Kompas found that the SAR vessels were deployed to several zones to comb the lake. SAR personnel were seen standing on the vessels’ decks and observing the lake’s surface, both with the naked eye and binoculars.

On Tuesday, divers were deployed at the spot where the boat had capsized. Eight personnel dived up to a depth of 30 meters. “However, the divers could not reach the bottom of the lake. Hopefully, the ROV will make the diving more effective,” Lake Toba SAR post coordinator Torang Hutahaean said.

Geological Agency Lake Toba researcher Indyo Pratomo said the Tigaras and Tanjung Onta regions, where the vessel had capsized, were among the deepest parts of Lake Toba – with depth reaching around 500 meters. Such depths could entrap sinking materials and make it unlikely for them to resurface. “With this in consideration, safety should have been upheld,” Indyo said.

Another issue is the amount of mud on the lake’s floor. The characteristics of Lake Toba sediments can be observed on Samosir Island, which was originally on the lake’s bottom but was slowly elevated to the surface some 30,000 years ago. Lake Toba was formed by the eruption of a supervolcano inundated with water. The world’s largest volcanic lake has an area of 1,130 square kilometers, a maximum depth of 505 meters and can contain 240 cubic kilometers of rainwater. The lake has only one outlet, namely the Asahan River that flows to the Malacca Strait.

Samosir resident Sri Simanungkalit said the KM Sinar Bangun, which set sail at 5 p.m., was the last passenger service from Simanindo to Tigaras on Monday. Meanwhile, the last passenger service from Tigaras to Simanindo was at 6:30 p.m. “[The ship] was crowded,” she said. Furthermore, vessels on Lake Toba never distinguish between passengers and goods. Vessels can carry just a few passengers but plenty of goods. Consequently, the exact load of a vessel is unknown.

North Sumatra acting governor Sabrina said she regretted that the boat lacked a passenger manifest. “Consequently, in times of accident like this, no one can be sure how many passengers were on the boat and what their names are,” she said.

(NSA/WSI)