View source for Sinking of MV Teratai Prima

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Sinking of MV ''Teratai Prima''}}
{{Infobox news event
| title                    = Sinking of MV ''Teratai Prima''
| image                    = MV Teratai Prima.jpg
| caption                  = MV ''Teratai Prima'' prior to its sinking
| date                     = {{Start date and age|2009|1|11|df=yes}}
| time                     = Around 04:00 a.m local time ([[UTC+08:00|UTC+8]])
| place                    = Batu Roro, [[Makassar Strait]], Majene, West Sulawesi, Indonesia
| coordinates              = {{Coord|03|27|00|S|118|47|00|E|type:event_region:ID|display=inline,title}}
| cause                    = {{hlist|Overloading|Inclement weather|Flooding on the engine compartment}}
| participants             =
| outcome                  = {{hlist|Capsized in Makassar Strait}}
| reported injuries        = 35
| reported death(s)        = 9 confirmed
| reported missing         = 321 (presumed dead)
| reported property damage =
| burial                   =
| inquiries                =
| inquest                  =
| coroner                  =
| suspects                 = Sabir bin Andae, Captain
| charges                  = Negligence
| verdict                  = 9 years in prison
| convictions              =
| publication bans         =
| litigation               =
| awards                   =
| url                      =
| website                  = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
| notes                    =
}}
The '''sinking of MV ''Teratai Prima''''' occurred on 11 January 2009, around 04:00 local time (January 10, 21:00 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]) when a ferry carrying more than 300 people capsized in the [[Makassar Strait]] off [[West Sulawesi]],<ref name="cbc-ca">{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/more-than-250-feared-dead-after-cyclone-sinks-indonesian-ferry-1.784593 |title=More than 250 feared dead after cyclone sinks Indonesian ferry |date=January 12, 2009 |publisher=[[CBC News]] |accessdate=January 12, 2009}}</ref> Survivors stated that the ferry had been slammed by {{convert|4|m|ft|adj=on}} waves twice. The first one hit so hard that the ship became unbalanced (witnesses said the angle approached 30 degrees), before another wave hit from a different direction and sank the vessel.

Indonesian officials stated that more than 300 people were aboard the sunken ferry. In the following days, 35 survivors were evacuated from the site of the sinking. More than 300 people were listed as missing, all of them were presumed dead. With the deaths of more than 300 people, the sinking is regarded as the deadliest maritime disaster in Indonesia since the sinking of [[MV Senopati Nusantara]] in 2006.<ref name="Final">{{cite web|title=Final Report|url=http://knkt.dephub.go.id/knkt/ntsc_maritime/Laut/2009/Laporan%20Akhir%20KM%20Teratai%20Prima.pdf|publisher=NTSC|language=Indonesian|accessdate=9 July 2018}}</ref>

The National Transportation Safety Committee published the final report. The investigation found that the ferry was overloaded during the sinking. The Captain had also ignored warnings of bad weather from officials of the local meteorological agency. Further investigation revealed that during the disaster, water rushed into the engine compartment. The investigation also revealed that the cargo were not properly loaded so the center of gravity of the ferry had shifted. The ferry lost its stability and capsized to its side.<ref name="Final"/>

==Sinking==
MV ''Teratai Prima'' was a passenger and cargo ferry vessel that operated a regular, scheduled inter-island service between [[Pare-Pare]], [[South Sulawesi]] and [[Samarinda]], the capital of [[South Kalimantan]], [[Borneo]].  The ferry departed from Pare-Pare Harbour at 19:00 WITA (UTC+8), carrying 365 passengers and crew along with cargo, mostly rice, weighing around {{convert|443|t|kg lb}}. The weather when the vessel departed Pare-Pare was still in acceptable condition, with drizzle reportedly present.<ref name="Final"/>

At around 02:00 local time, the crew of ''Teratai Prima'' communicated to the ferry-service dispatchers in Pare-Pare that the vessel had been hit by a tornado. This was the last recorded transmission from the ferry.<ref name="Final"/>

At 04:00 local time, MV Teratai Prima reached an area named Batu Roro.  By now, weather conditions had become adverse, with waves reportedly reaching a height of {{convert|3-4|m|ft}}.<ref name="Misteri">{{cite web|title=Mengungkap Misteri Tenggelamnya KM Teratai Prima|url=https://makassar.antaranews.com/berita/1620/mengungkap-misteri-tenggelamnya-km-teratai-prima|publisher=Antara News|date=13 January 2009|accessdate=9 July 2018}}</ref> Data from local radar showed that the ferry was in stormy weather. As waves hit the vessel repeatedly, it started to sway, then began to list to its side, attaining an angle of 30 degrees. As another wave hit the ferry, it immediately capsized onto its starboard side.<ref name="Final"/>

Survivors stated that most of the passengers were asleep inside the passenger deck at the time the capsizing occurred,<ref>{{cite news|title=Inilah Kesaksian Philipus|url=https://tekno.kompas.com/read/2009/01/13/13450087/inilah.kesaksian.philipus|newspaper=Kompas|date=13 January 2009|accessdate=9 July 2018}}</ref> upon which the ferry immediately sank. Since the disaster occurred in a timespan of less than 5 minutes,<ref name="Misteri"/> most of the passengers would have had insufficient time to react, and the vessel sank with more than 300 persons trapped inside.<ref name="Final"/>

==Search and rescue==
As contact had been lost, search-and-rescue personnel were dispatched to the area. The first reported finding came from a fisherman in the vicinity. In the immediate hours following the disaster, numerous ships and fishing boats arrived at the site of the disaster, located to the south of [[Majene]], [[West Sulawesi]]. At least 18 survivors were found and were transported to Majene. The [[Indonesian National Army]] dispatched aircraft and ships to the area. However, the rescue operation was hampered by the persisting adverse weather conditions. Many ships were instructed to leave the area, while several others were told to remain.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pencarian korban berlanjut|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/indonesian/news/story/2009/01/printable/090113_terataisearch.shtml|publisher=BBC Indonesia|date=12 January 2009|accessdate=9 July 2018}}</ref>

Crisis centers were set up in Samarinda. Relatives of the passengers on board the ferry were immediately contacted by authorities. There was confusion among the relatives, as the names of their loved ones were not on the list of the passenger manifest. According to officials, many passengers were not listed therein. It listed 250 passengers and crew-members aboard the ferry; reports however stated that 357 persons had been aboard.<ref name="Misteri"/>

Over the course of the first day, 17 survivors were found by search-and-rescue personnel. Personnel from the [[Indonesian Navy]], [[Indonesian Air Force]], [[Indonesian Armed Forces]] and the [[Indonesian National Police]] were called to assist the search and rescue.<ref name="Misteri"/> The survivors were taken to Pare-Pare.<ref>{{cite web|title=Korban Selamat KM Teratai Dievakuasi ke Parepare|url=https://nasional.tempo.co/read/154779/korban-selamat-km-teratai-dievakuasi-ke-parepare|publisher=Tempo|date=12 January 2009|accessdate=9 July 2018}}</ref>

On 12 January, officials stated that the ferry was lying at a depth of {{convert|500|m|ft}}, {{convert|3|miles|nmi km|0}} from the coast of Majene - in actuality, as they would state on 19 January, it lay much deeper. They added that the location of the sinking was around {{convert|6|miles|nmi km|0}} from the crash site of [[Adam Air Flight 574]]. 108 personnel were deployed.<ref>{{cite news|title=KM Teratai Prima Tenggelam di Kedalaman 500 Meter|url=https://internasional.kompas.com/read/2009/01/12/23041217/km.teratai.prima.tenggelam.di.kedalaman.500.meter|newspaper=Kompas|date=12 January 2009|accessdate=9 July 2018}}</ref> Lack of equipment and navigation errors further hampered the search operation. They reported that another 6 survivors had been found.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tim SAR Gabungan Kekurangan Alat Penyelamatan|url=https://internasional.kompas.com/read/2009/01/12/21021083/tim.sar.gabungan.kekurangan.alat.penyelamatan|newspaper=Kompas|date=12 January 2009|accessdate=9 July 2018}}</ref>

On 14 January, Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla stated that the Indonesian state-owned oil and natural gas corporation, [[Pertamina]], was to join the search-and-rescue operation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kalla: Pencarian Korban KM Teratai Terus Dilakukan|url=https://www.liputan6.com/news/read/171355/kalla-pencarian-korban-km-teratai-terus-dilakukan|publisher= Liputan 6 |date=14 January 2009|accessdate=9 July 2018}}</ref>

On 17 January, the Head of the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency, Ida Bagus Sanubari, ordered that the search-and-rescue operation be extended a further three days.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pencarian KM Teratai Prima Diperpanjang 3 Hari|url=https://news.detik.com/berita/1070146/pencarian-km-teratai-prima-diperpanjang-3-hari|publisher=Detik.com|date=17 January 2009|accessdate=9 July 2018}}</ref>

On 19 January, officials stated that 44 victims had been found, 35 of them alive and 9 dead, and that more than 300 passengers and crew-members were still missing. They added that helicopters, military ships and planes were deployed to search for the missing passengers and crews and that the wreckage of the ferry was approximately at a depth of {{convert|1,040|m|ft|0}}. A memorial service to commemorate the deceased victims was held by the families.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pencarian Masih Nihil, Keluarga Korban Teratai Prima Tabur Bunga|url=https://nasional.tempo.co/read/155929/pencarian-masih-nihil-keluarga-korban-teratai-prima-tabur-bunga|publisher= Tempo |date=19 January 2009|accessdate=9 July 2018}}</ref>

As by now no further bodies were being recovered from the sea, the search-and-rescue operation was called off by officials on 20 January. Relatives gathered at the site of the sinking and threw flowers onto the sea.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pencarian Korban Kapal Teratai Dihentikan|url=https://www.liputan6.com/news/read/171668/pencarian-korban-kapal-teratai-dihentikan|publisher= Liputan6 |date=20 January 2009|accessdate=9 July 2018}}</ref>

==Investigation==
Minister of Transportation Jusman Safeii Djamal stated that members of the National Transportation Safety Board would arrive in Majene to investigate the disaster.<ref>{{cite news|title=Presiden Instruksikan Cari Korban KM Teratai Prima|url=https://internasional.kompas.com/read/2009/01/12/21260063/presiden.instruksikan.cari.korban.km.teratai.prima|newspaper=Kompas|date=12 January 2009|accessdate=9 July 2018}}</ref>

===Conditions during the sinking===
[[File:MV Teratai Prima kondisi cuaca.jpg|thumb|Radar image of the area where MV. Teratai Prima sank. The photo on the left shows the wave height while on the right shows the wind speed at the time of the sinking.]]
During a press conference on 12 January, Minister of Transportation Jusman Safeii Djamal stated that the ferry encountered severe weather conditions near Majene. On the testimony of the captain, the ferry capsized as waves hit the ferry from the right side. The minister questioned the captain's decision to continue to Samarinda, despite having been forewarned by officials from the local meteorological agency about the presence of bad weather, later adding that the captain should have canceled the service on that day.<ref name="KNKT">{{cite web|title=KNKT SELIDIKI KASUS TENGGELAMNYA KM TERATAI PRIMA|url=http://dephub.go.id/post/read/KNKT-SELIDIKI-KASUS-TENGGELAMNYA-KM-TERATAI-PRIMA1308|publisher=Indonesian Transportation Department|date=16 January 2009|accessdate=9 July 2018}}</ref>

Radar images of the area confirmed that weather conditions at the time the disaster occurred were poor. The head of the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics, Sri Woro B Hardjono, stated that  a cyclone-like phenomenon had occurred at that time in the vicinity of the ferry. Winds were recorded at a speed of {{cvt|84|km/h|kn mph|0}}.<ref name="KNKT"/>, whereas the officially stipulated maximum windspeed for safe operating of ships is {{cvt|56|km/h|kn mph|0}}. Waves were estimated to be around {{convert|3-4|m|ft}} in the area. The area of the sinking is itself regarded as a challenging area as whirlpools are frequently spotted by sailors.<ref name="Final"/>

===Overloading===
Investigators were unable to find the ferry's loading chart, making it impossible to accurately determine the total weight of the vessel. Their inspection of the passenger manifest revealed discrepancies as to the true number of passengers and crew-members aboard. Consequently, calculating of its weight had to be based on assumptions. The crew noted that the cargo weighed around 443 tonnes and that there were 365 passengers on board. Calculating on the basis of the two combined weights revealed that the ferry had been overloaded to as much as 200% of its actual capacity.<ref name="Final"/>

The investigators examined several plausible scenarios to account for the accident's probable cause. In one such scenario, weather conditions in the vicinity were of themselves sufficiently severe to easily cause the ferry to sink. According to an alternative scenario that the investigators finally agreed upon, the ferry was fully loaded with cargo and passengers and crew-members. Owing to that, the [[freeboard]] of the vessel became small and, given its design, water would readily have entered it.<ref name="Final"/>

===Free surface effect===
As the consequence of the vessel's [[freeboard]] having become reduced, water could easily have entered the hull from the left side, flooding the deck. The {{convert|20|cm|in|adj=mid|-tall}} hatch, consisting of a wooden board, was damaged as waves with heights of 3–4 metres struck the ferry. The engine compartment was flooded and the [[free surface effect]] occurred on board.<ref name="Final"/>

==Criminal proceeding==
On 19 January, the ferry's captain, Sarbi bin Andae, was named by the police as a suspect in the sinking.  He was accused of negligence and liable to serve a prison sentence of at least 5 years.<ref>{{cite news|title=Nakhoda KM Teratai Prima O Jadi Tersangka|url=https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2009/01/19/06230627/nakhoda.km.teratai.prima.o.jadi.tersangka|newspaper=Kompas|accessdate=9 July 2018}}</ref> On 10 August 2009, the District court of Pare-Pare sentenced Sarbi to 9 years in prison.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nakhoda KM Teratai Prima Divonis Sembilan Tahun|url=https://www.antaranews.com/berita/150497/nakhoda-km-teratai-prima-divonis-sembilan-tahun|publisher=Antara News|accessdate=9 July 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Sinking of MV Sinar Bangun]]
* [[Sinking of MV Dumai Express 10]]
* [[Tampomas II]], Indonesia's deadliest maritime disaster

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikinews-inline|Indonesia ferry sinks near Majene, more than 260 people missing}}
{{2009 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Teratai Prima}}
[[Category:2009 in Indonesia]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 2009]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in Indonesia]]
[[Category:1999 ships]]