The captain of the Indonesian ferry Barcelona V has been named as a suspect in a fire accident that killed three people.
On the afternoon of July 20, the ferry Barcelona V was traveling near Talisei Island on its way to Manado City on the northeastern tip of Sulawesi Island when a fire broke out on the upper deck.
As the fire spread to the interior of the ship, all passengers and crew evacuated to the open deck. Due to the approaching flames, passengers and crew were forced to abandon ship and jump into the water. The upper structure of the ship was completely destroyed by the fire, which was extinguished later that day.
The accident resulted in three deaths, one of whom was a pregnant woman. In addition, two people are still missing, and search and rescue operations are continuing near the coast of Talisei Island.
Video footage from the scene of the accident shows that after the fire broke out, passengers on board appeared to jump into the water to evacuate without using life rafts. Some passengers told local media outlet Kompas that there were not enough life jackets on board, causing passengers to panic. Survivors floated in the water for several hours waiting for rescue.
The fire also revealed a discrepancy in the passenger list of the crashed ferry. Including 16 crew members, the official passenger list included 280 people. However, data from the search and rescue agency Basarnas showed that 575 people had been rescued, plus the three dead and two missing, for a total of 580 people.
Local media reported that the ferry captain is under investigation for discrepancies in the passenger list and possible failure to follow emergency procedures during the fire and evacuation.
The police in charge of the investigation told the media: “We are still investigating the possible involvement of other crew members and are currently collecting evidence. We will continue to work hard to ensure that this case is investigated as soon as possible and submitted to the court.”
Indonesian Transportion Minister Dudy Purwagandhi has asked the police to investigate the details of the passenger list of the Barcelona V. A total of 13 relevant departments are involved in the accident investigation. The department said: “This is no small incident. It is a stark warning to all of us that we must strengthen improvements. From the central government to local governments, from regulators to operators, all relevant parties must reach a consensus: maritime safety is of paramount importance.”
Unregistered overloads of passengers are a common problem in ferry accidents in Southeast Asia, with the worst peacetime maritime accident in history being the sinking of the Philippine ferry Dona Paz.
Ferry accidents are not uncommon in Indonesia. The country’s population is highly dependent on passenger ships to transport people between the archipelago nation’s countless islands. A large domestic fleet combined with lax safety standards has led to frequent accidents. Earlier this month, a local ferry sank in bad weather near Bali, killing 16 people.