It sank very quickly, in less than five minutes,
Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) – A crew member of the KM Virgo Transport 8 said the vessel suddenly listed and sank within five minutes after the accident in the Masalembo waters of the Java Sea on Sunday.
Akmal said he noticed no warning signs before the vessel began listing, such as shaking or the sound of water entering the ship.
“I was sleeping. When I woke up, the ship was already listing. I ran to my room, grabbed a life jacket and jumped into the sea,” Akmal said after being evacuated on Tuesday.
Akmal was among 22 survivors evacuated Tuesday by a Rigid Buoyancy Boat (RBB) from Banjarmasin Naval Base after being transferred from KRI Nala at the scene.
They had been transferred between several vessels since being rescued at around 10 a.m. local time on Sunday, several hours after the accident occurred at around 1 a.m., he said.
Akmal said the ship had been operating normally before he fell asleep, so the listing happened suddenly after he woke, leaving him little time to do anything beyond grabbing a life jacket.
“It sank very quickly, in less than five minutes,” he said.
Akmal said he heard an alarm after reaching a safe distance from the ship, which had already capsized, prompting him to move farther away.
“When the ship began to capsize, I saw many people jumping into the sea to save themselves. They were still alive when they entered the water,” he said.
Akmal said he was in the rear section when the accident began, far from the bridge, and therefore did not know what had happened at the front of the vessel before it began listing.
He said he was unaware of forecasts for waves reaching two to three meters before departure because he simply followed orders to sail as scheduled.
Akmal, who had worked aboard the KM Virgo Transport 8 for about three months, said he had never experienced a similar incident on the vessel.
As of 9 a.m. local time on Tuesday, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) said 114 people had been found, including 108 survivors and six dead. Another 129 people remained missing from the 243 people aboard.
Of the 114 people found, 110 had reached Banjarmasin, including 108 survivors and two deceased victims. Four other deceased victims were being evacuated by air to Syamsudin Noor Air Base for further medical handling.
The Virgo Transport 8, carrying 243 people, lost contact in the Masalembo waters of the Java Sea at around 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, September 13, while sailing from Surabaya to Banjarmasin.
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Translator: Tumpal AA, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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