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Location of sinking in North Sumatra

MV Sinar Bangun sank on 18 June 2018 in Lake Toba, North Sumatra, Indonesia, during its trip from Simanindo Harbour in Samosir Island to Tiga Ras Harbour in Simalungun Regency. The ferry was carrying 188 passengers and crew. After the sinking, authorities immediately deployed search and rescue personnel to the area. As of 26 June 2018, 21 survivors were rescued, 3 bodies were found and 164 people were listed as missing, possibly dead.

Sinking

MV Sinar Bangun was travelling from Simanindo Harbour in Samosir Regency on the north of Samosir Island to Tiga Ras Harbour in Simalungun Regency. Officials stated that many of the passengers were tourists who had travelled with families to Lake Toba, Indonesia's largest super-volcano lake. It was holiday season in Indonesia, so the ferry was packed with passengers. Authorities stated that the ferry sank at around 17:00 – 17:30 local time.^[4] The ferry was reportedly carrying more than five times the rated capacity of 43 passengers and was equipped with only 45 life jackets.^[5]

Survivors stated that the winds were blowing hard and the waves were rough, with heavy rain.^[6][7] Another survivor stated that the steering wheel snapped during the disaster. The ferry swayed at least three times until it finally capsized to starboard. The sinking happened just 22 minutes after it had left the harbour. Survivors recalled that passengers were screaming and were fighting to get out of the ferry as quickly as possible, with multiple people crushed or trampled during the disaster. A woman stated that she was unable to save her children, as they were trampled by other passengers.^[8]

A video taken during the disaster was uploaded to social media by a passenger of the ferry. The video shows that the ferry capsized entirely, and reveals that many passengers initially had survived the sinking. At least 50–60 survivors are seen in the video clinging onto the hull, while others are swept away; screaming and crying can be heard. The video also shows that the passengers did not use life jackets or any other life-saving equipment.^[9] Another video taken by a member of the search and rescue team shows that the ferry had fully submerged and that the number of the survivors had decreased significantly; fewer than 30 survivors can be seen, and no survivors are seen clinging to the hull.^[10]

If the missing are confirmed dead, this will be the deadliest maritime disaster in Indonesia since the sinking of the MV Teratai Prima in 2009, in which more than 250 perished.^[11][12]

Passengers and crew

As there was no passenger manifest, it is not clear how many people were actually on board.^[13][14] Initially, around 80–100 were thought to be aboard the ferry. The number was later revised to 70. However, as authorities asked the public to report any missing relatives suspected to be passengers of the ferry, the number rose to 94. The number continued to rise and as of 19 June 2018, 145 people were reported missing. The names of 41 people were publicly posted at Simanindo Harbour, while the other 104 names were posted at Tiga Ras Harbour. Officials then confirmed that 128 people and 50 vehicles were aboard the ferry, and added that the data may change.^[15] Meanwhile, survivors claimed that around 200 people and 100 motorbikes were on board.^[16]

On 20 June 2018, the National Search and Rescue Agency confirmed that a total of 166 people were reported as missing.^[17] Later in the afternoon, the number of people reported as missing reached 192.^[18]

On 26 June, officials finally finalized the total amount of passengers, crew and vehicles on board MV Sinar Bangun. The official list stated that there were 188 people on board the ferry, with 164 were listed as missing.^[3]

Search and rescue

18 June

A joint search and rescue team was assembled and deployed in the area, consisting of the National Search and Rescue Agency, the National Armed Forces, regional and local government officials, the Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics, and the regional Disaster Management Board. The site of the sinking is two nautical miles from the harbour. 18 people were found to have survived the sinking^[19] and one body was found in the afternoon. The first victim of the disaster was identified as Tri Suci Wulandari, a student from Aceh Tamiang, Aceh.^[20] Helicopters and ferries were deployed by authorities. The survivors were transported to Simarmata Community Health Center, Hadrinus Sinaga Regional Hospital and Dolok Padarmean Community Health Center.^[21]

19 June

Officials stated that 350 personnel were deployed to assist the search and rescue operation.^[22] The rescue operation was hampered by bad weather^[23] and lack of equipment. Personnel from Jakarta were called. Personal belongings were retrieved from the water, however neither victims nor survivors were found.^[24] The search and rescue operation was called off. On late evening of 19 June, a Hercules C-130 carrying multiple personnel and advanced equipment arrived at Silangit Airport.^[25]

20 June

At least seven ships were deployed by the command center.^{[clarification needed]} The search area was widened to 3.6 square kilometers.^[26] Divers were dispatched to Lake Toba. By the evening, search and rescue recovered more bodies, bringing the death toll to four.^[27] Authorities stated that the other bodies were most likely trapped inside the wreckage of the ferry.^[28]

Officials from the National Search and Rescue Agency stated that the rescue operation would be conducted for seven days. Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi stated that the search and rescue operation would be extended to ten days if necessary.^[29]

22 June

Lake Toba is known to be up to 500 metres (1,600 ft) deep in many places; however, depth traces by the search team indicated depths of up to 1,600 metres (5,200 ft), which is far beyond the 350-metre (1,150 ft) maximum working depth of the deployed Remote Observation Vehicle, and no traces of the ship were found. Separate sonar tools, effective up to 600 metres (2,000 ft), also showed the lake was deeper than 600 metres. As a result, a 2,000-metre (6,600 ft) sonar tool was ordered to be sent to the area.^[30]

28 June

The Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency announced that their personnel had captured an object in their sonar image. The object was located at a depth of 450 meters. The object was suspected to be the wreckage of the ferry. Salvage operation was conducted. Later in the evening, the Head of the Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency, Muhammad Syaugi, stated that an ROV spotted bodies and motorcycles in the surrounding area. Photos of the submerged motorcycles and the dead bodies were shown to the media.^[31][32]

Investigation

Personnel from the National Transportation Safety Committee were sent by the Ministry of Transportation. Police confirmed that the weather at the time was bad, and added that it might have contributed to the cause of the disaster. They later added that, based on multiple accounts, the ferry might have been overloaded.^[33]

The Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics claimed that they had warned people twice to not board any boat or ferry, just hours before the disaster.^[34] Two severe weather warnings had been issued by the agency. The first was issued on 11:00 and the second was issued at 14:00.^[35] They had warned that the weather in and around Lake Toba would deteriorate on that day. Records showed that there was significant change in wind speeds during the disaster. Waves reaching as high as 2 meters were also recorded.^[36]

Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi stated that the ferry was grossly overloaded. The ferry was identified as a 35 tonnage type boat. He added that the ferry could only hold a maximum number of 43 people.^[37] Reports stated that on the day of the disaster over 100 people had boarded the ferry.^[36]

President Joko Widodo ordered the Minister of Transportation to conduct an immediate evaluation of the safety of all ferry services.^[38]

The police opened an investigation into the ferry's fitness for operation. They found that the operator did not have a passenger manifest or a permit to operate the ferry service. It was later revealed that the ferry service was illegal.^[39]

The captain of the ferry, Situa Sagala, was arrested at his house at Simanindo on 18 June, the day of the sinking, having evidently crossed back across to the island by some other means of transportation.^[40] In addition, three transport officials were also arrested as suspects.^[41]

Aftermath

Jasa Raharja, a state-owned insurance company, stated that they would cover the expenses of the victims, stating that a total amount of 50 million rupiah (approximately US$3500) would be given to the relatives of the deceased while a total amount of 20 million rupiah (approximately US$1400) would be given to the relatives of the injured survivors.^[42] Many relatives of the victims expressed anger at the government for not enforcing basic safety measures on passenger boats and pleaded for a bigger search effort.^[5]

On 20 June 2018 the government suspended ferry services between Simanindo and Tigaras for an initial period of seven days, with a possible extension of three days.^[43]

See also

• MV Le Joola, Senegal's worst maritime disaster, caused by overloading
• MV Sewol, South Korean ferry sunk while turning due to insufficient restoring force caused by overloading

References