Condolences for Toba Victims

KOMPAS/NIKSON SINAGA

Family members of passengers that were on a ship that has sunk on Lake Toba wait at Tigaras Port in Simalungun regency, North Sumatra, on Wednesday (20/6/2018). On the third day of search efforts, two more bodies were found, raising the total death toll to three. Only 18 people have so far been rescued, while the number of missing is estimated at 197.

The deadly accident involving the KM Sinar Bangun vessel on Lake Toba brought sadness to the victims\' relatives. Reportedly, around 200 people went missing.

As reported earlier, around 200 people were said to have been missing, even though North Sumatra Police chief Insp. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw said the number was probably inflated due to redundant reporting. Our mourning and sympathy go out to the victims.

The KM Sinar Bangun vessel on Monday afternoon departed from Simanindo Port (Samosir) heading to Tigaras Port (Simalungun). The vessel was hit by strong winds and high tides. At first, the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) estimated there were 80 passengers on board when the vessel capsized. However, the command post dealing with the accident reported 147 people missing.

The motorized vessel was reported to have operated without a list of the people onboard. The lack of manifest made it hard for authorities to confirm the number of passengers. A manifest is one of the requirements for a vessel to get a permit to operate, and operating without one is a violation.

Accidents involving public transportation may start with minor violations, which are often tolerated or taken for granted. This is why we must push the authorities for a thorough investigation into the accident, specifically how and why the vessel was allowed to operate without the manifest.

Who will be held responsible for the violation? There needs to be an audit of all vessel operators. Investigation into the procedure is important so that we can learn lessons from the accident. There must be someone that is held responsible.

Nevertheless, the priority now is how to rescue the victims of the Lake Toba accident.

The search and rescue effort should be a top priority. The central government and the provincial administration need to deploy all resources to search for and recover the victims. Quoting Lake Toba researcher Indyo Pratomo, the spot where the vessel capsized was the deepest point, nearly 500 meters. Yet, this must not deter us from continuing the search and rescue efforts.

The vessel accident during the Lebaran holiday was ironic amid our effort to promote Lake Toba as a tourist destination. The effort to promote Lake Toba as a tourist destination should be coupled with discipline among the apparatuses, including safety measures. Carelessness does not have a place in tourism.

What should be understood is errare humanum est — to err is human. From that perspective, a system should be created to prevent such errors. The capsizing of the vessel could affect future tourist visits to Lake Toba. Therefore, rescue efforts should be continued while improving the system to prevent such accidents from recurring.