Sinking of MV Wahai Star

Last updated
Sinking of MV Wahai Star
MV Wahai Star.jpg
Photograph of MV Wahai Star (taken from NTSC final report)
Date10 July 2007;16 years ago (2007-07-10)
Time20:00 - 22:00 (UTC+9)
Location8-9 miles off the coast of Ambon Island, Maluku, Indonesia
Coordinates 03°42′00″S127°07′00″E / 3.70000°S 127.11667°E / -3.70000; 127.11667
Cause
  • Ferry operated in an unsuitable weather condition
  • Tugged boat crashed onto ferry's stern, causing a leak
Outcome
  • Sank off the coast of Ambon Island
  • 43 survivors rescued
  • 16 bodies recovered
Deaths16 confirmed
MissingUnknown
Passengers and crewsUnknown (around 60-70)
Survivors43

The sinking of MV Wahai Star occurred on the night of 10 July 2007, when a speedboat tugged by the ferry accidentally crashed into its stern, resulting in a major leak. In the following days, rescuers managed to save 43 people, while 16 bodies were recovered in the nearby waters. [1]

Contents

The investigation conducted by the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee concluded that the main cause of the accident was the crew's decision to continue to Ambon despite deteriorating weather conditions. While it was en route to Ambon, the speedboat that the ferry was tugging suddenly struck the stern of the ferry. After failing to stop the resulting leak, the captain instructed the passengers and crew to abandon the ferry. [1]

Sinking

MV Wahai Star departed Namrole Harbour on Buru Island at 09.00 a.m local time. A speedboat, which was used to carry the passengers to the ferry, was tugged along the route. At 20:00 p.m local time, as it was travelling to Ambon, weather conditions began to deteriorate. Heavy winds blew from the southeast and waves reaching three meters in height struck the ferry. [1]

Crew members suddenly heard a loud impact on the stern of the ferry. A quick examination revealed that the impact was caused by the tugged speedboat. The force of the impact caused a leak in the engine compartment. Crew members tried to pump the water out of the ferry, but were forced to use buckets instead due to the sub-optimal functioning of the pump. [1]

At 21:30, the Captain of MV Wahai Star ordered the crew members to distribute life jackets to the passengers and to issue a distress call to local authorities. This distress call was not replied to. All attempts to drain the water proved unsuccessful and the engine compartment was flooded, causing the lighting of the ferry to fail. [1]

The ferry was repeatedly struck by waves reaching 3–4 metres (9.8–13.1 ft) high, causing the ferry to lose its stability. It began to list to its port side. At 22:00 p.m, the captain ordered all passengers and crew to abandon the ferry. [1]

Search and rescue

The vessel that managed to reach the site first was a tanker ship that was passing by. Several hours after the sinking, rescuers managed to save 23 passengers from the sea. They were taken to Ambon, the provincial capital of Maluku. Two bodies were also recovered. The rescue effort was hampered by bad weather. [2] [3]

On 14 July, as many as five ships were deployed. The death toll then rose to 15 as more bodies were recovered. An additional two survivors were found. [4]

In total, rescuers managed to save 43 people, while 16 bodies were recovered. Another 15 people were declared missing and presumed dead. [1]

Passengers and crews

There were conflicting reports on the number of passengers and crew on board. Initially, between 60-100 people were reported to be on board. It was later revised to 60. The administrator of the local harbour stated that a total of 42 people were on the ferry. However, the search and rescue team reported that more than 61 people, including those who died in the sinking, had been evacuated from the sea. The final report, published by the NTSC, indicated that there were more than 60 passengers and crew on board, but did not specify an exact number. [1] [5]

Investigation

Prior to the ferry's departure, ground officials had issued warnings not to travel to the waters around Ambon Island due to the deteriorating weather conditions. Officials suspected that the crew of the ferry ignored the warnings. [5]

The official final report concluded that the sinking was caused by high waves produced by adverse weather conditions in the area. The high waves moved the tugged speedboat to the stern of the ferry, causing an impact powerful enough to cause a leak. Because the draining efforts were unsuccessful, the ferry flooded and capsized. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

MV Princess Victoria was one of the earliest roll-on/roll-off ferries. Completed in 1947, she operated from Stranraer, Scotland, to Larne, Northern Ireland, initially by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) until 1 January 1948 and thereafter by LMS's successor British Railways. During a severe European windstorm on 31 January 1953, she sank in the North Channel with the loss of 135 lives. This was then the deadliest maritime disaster in United Kingdom waters since World War II. For many years it was believed that 133 people had lost their lives in the disaster. However, research by a local historian, Liam Kelly, identified two other victims—Gordon Wright and Thomas Saunders—who had not been identified as there had been no passenger list at the time.

MS <i>al-Salam Boccaccio 98</i> Egyptian Ro/Ro passenger ferry

The MS al-Salam Boccaccio 98 was an Egyptian Ro/Ro passenger ferry, operated by El Salam Maritime Transport, that sank on 3 February 2006 in the Red Sea en route from Duba, Saudi Arabia, to Safaga in southern Egypt.

MV <i>Senopati Nusantara</i> Indonesian ferry; sank in a 2006 storm

The MV Senopati Nusantara was an Indonesian ferry that sank in a storm on December 30, 2006. The Japanese-made ship was a scheduled passenger liner from the port of Kumai in Central Kalimantan (Borneo) to Tanjung Emas port in Semarang, Central Java. About 40 km (25 mi) off Mandalika Island, the ship sank during a violent storm in the Java Sea. At least 400–500 people are thought to have drowned.

MV <i>Princess of the Stars</i> Philippine passenger ferry, sank disastrously

MV Princess of the Stars was a passenger ferry owned by Filipino shipping company Sulpicio Lines, that capsized and sank on June 21, 2008, off the coast of San Fernando, Romblon, at the height of Typhoon Fengshen, which passed directly over Romblon as a Category 2 storm. 814 people died.

Sinking of MV <i>Teratai Prima</i>

The sinking of MV Teratai Prima occurred on 11 January 2009, around 04:00 local time when a ferry carrying more than 300 people capsized in the Makassar Strait off West Sulawesi, Survivors stated that the ferry had been slammed by 4-metre (13 ft) waves twice. The first one hit so hard that the ship became unbalanced, before another wave hit from a different direction and sank the vessel.

Sinking of MV <i>Dumai Express 10</i>

The sinking of MV Dumai Express 10 occurred on the morning of 22 November 2009 when a ferry carrying more than 300 people sank near the island of Iyu Kecil in Karimun Regency, Riau Islands during bad weather. Eyewitnesses reported that massive waves had struck the ferry repeatedly, causing the starboard side of the ship to crack. Subsequently, a considerable amount of water poured into the deck. By 9:55 a.m. the ferry was fully submerged.

MV <i>Rabaul Queen</i> Passenger ferry that sank in 2012

MV Rabaul Queen was a passenger ferry owned by the Papua New Guinea company Rabaul Shipping. The ship, built in Japan in 1983, operated on short runs in that country, before being brought to Papua New Guinea in 1998 and plying a regular weekly route between Kimbe, the capital of West New Britain, and Lae, the capital of the mainland province of Morobe.

MV St. Thomas Aquinas was a Philippine-registered passenger ferry operated by 2GO Travel. On 16 August 2013, the vessel collided with a cargo ship named MV Sulpicio Express Siete of Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation and sank. As of 3 September 2013, there were 108 dead and 29 missing with 733 rescued as a result of the accident.

<i>Tampomas II</i> Indonesian passenger ship that caught fire in 1981

KMP Tampomas II was a roll on-roll off car and passenger ferry owned by the Indonesian shipping company Pelni that burned and sank in the Java Sea while sailing from Jakarta to Ujung Pandang, South Sulawesi on 27 January 1981. This disaster resulted in the deaths of hundreds of passengers.

Mohamad, Ardyan (2016-03-31). "Filipina tolak TNI ikut bebaskan WNI disandera Abu Sayyaf". merdeka.com. Retrieved 2023-05-25.

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. Twenty-one survivors were rescued, three bodies were found and 164 people were listed as missing and presumed dead.

Sinking of MV <i>Marina Baru 2B</i> 2015 maritime incident in Indonesia

The sinking of MV Marina Baru 2B occurred just after noon on 19 December 2015. The high speed vessel carrying 112 passengers and crew sank off the coast of Bone, South Sulawesi in inclement weather conditions. A nine-day search and rescue operation, conducted by authorities, successfully rescued 45 survivors and recovered 65 bodies from the sea. Twelve people were declared missing and presumed dead.

MV <i>Lestari Maju</i> Cargo ship

MV Lestari Maju was a modified 749 tonnes cargo ship that operated domestic passenger service from Bulukumba Regency to Selayar Islands in South Sulawesi. At noon on 3 July 2018, the ship was deliberately grounded off the Selayar Islands. The ferry had reportedly suffered a leak on the port side of the lower deck. As the ferry began to sink, the captain decided to ground the ferry to stop the sinking and ease the rescue effort. The incident killed 35 people; 155 people survived the accident.

Sinking of MV <i>Acita 03</i> The sinking of MV Acita 03 in Sulawesi

The sinking of MV Acita 03 occurred on the night of 18 October 2007 when a ferry carrying 174 passengers and crews accidentally capsized during its docking in Baubau, Southeast Sulawesi. 134 passengers and crews survived the disaster while 30 passengers and 1 crew member lost their lives. 9 people were listed as missing and presumed dead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asian Marine Transport Corporation</span>

Asian Marine Transport Corporation (AMTC) is a Filipino passenger and freight shipping company established in 1999 in Cebu City, Philippines. It owns and operates the Super Shuttle RORO, Super Shuttle Ferry and Shuttle Fast Ferry brand of RORO and ROPAX ferries.

<i>Zahro Express</i> disaster 2017 ferry disaster in Indonesia

The Zahro Express disaster occurred on the morning of 1 January 2017 when an Indonesian-flagged wooden passenger vessel caught fire in the waters of Thousands Islands Regency, off the coast of Jakarta. She was travelling from Jakarta's Muara Angke to Tidung Island, a popular tourist destination. The ferry, named MV Zahro Express, was carrying 216 passengers and 5 crew members. Of the 221 passengers and crews, a total of 24 people on board lost their lives.

MV <i>Laut Teduh 2</i>

MV Laut Teduh II was an Indonesian-flagged double-ended RO/RO passenger ferry that served the route from the Port of Merak in Java to the Port of Bakauheni in Sumatra, one of the busiest ferry routes in Indonesia. She was built in 1988 in England and was registered as Laut Teduh II in 2007.

Sinking of the MS <i>Estonia</i> 1994 maritime disaster on Baltic Sea

MS Estonia sank on Wednesday, 28 September 1994, between about 00:50 and 01:50 (UTC+2) as the ship was crossing the Baltic Sea, en route from Tallinn, Estonia, to Stockholm, Sweden. The sinking was one of the worst maritime disasters of the 20th century. It is one of the deadliest peacetime sinkings of a European ship, after the Titanic in 1912 and the Empress of Ireland in 1914, and the deadliest peacetime shipwreck to have occurred in European waters, with 852 lives stated at the time as officially lost.

Sinking of MV Windu Karsa

MV. Windu Karsa was an Indonesian-flagged double-ended RO/RO ferry that served the route from Luwu, South Sulawesi to Kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi. Built in Fujiwara Shipyard in 1980, she has served in Indonesia for more than 20 years.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Final Report" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Committee.
  2. ↑ "Kapal tenggelam di Maluku" (in Indonesian). BBC Indonesia. 11 July 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  3. ↑ "KM Wahai Star Tenggelam, Bangkai Kapal Belum Ditemukan". Detik (in Indonesian). 11 July 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  4. ↑ "Korban Tewas KM Wahai Star Jadi 15 Orang". Detik (in Indonesian). 14 July 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Dephub: KM Wahai Star Tenggelam karena Cuaca Buruk". Detik (in Indonesian). 16 July 2007. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.