Indonesia arrests captain of capsized ferry, police say
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The Virgo Transport 8 ferry was carrying 243 people when it capsized in bad weather in the Java Sea on Sept 13.
PHOTO: REUTERS
JAKARTA – An Indonesian police spokesman said on Oct 1 that the captain of a ship that capsized in the Java Sea in September has been arrested and will face criminal charges for his role in an accident that killed at least 78 people.
The Virgo Transport 8 ferry was carrying 243 people when it capsized in bad weather in the Java Sea on Sept 13 during a voyage from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan.
The authorities said 108 people survived.
Divers have been circling the ship, battling against fast sea currents and the ship’s unstable structure, to search for those missing on deck.
National police spokesman Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko said the ship’s captain has been arrested and named a criminal suspect.
Senior police official Kukuh Prabowo was quoted by state news agency Antara as saying on Sept 30 that the captain was suspected of violating Indonesia’s shipping law by knowingly sailing an unseaworthy vessel, an offence punishable by up to 10 years in prison when it causes deaths and property damage.
Neither Wisnu nor Kukuh provided any details of the alleged crimes.
The current death toll from the incident is 78 people, while 57 people remain missing, Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said late on Sept 30. The search is ongoing. REUTERS