REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The tragedy of MV Sinar Bangun ship sunk in Lake Toba, North Sumatra, early this week, was due to a lack of discipline of operators and controllers, Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan stated. The minister expressed his deepest condolences and concern to the families of the victims.
"I say that the tragedy could occur due to less supporting facilities and a lack of discipline among the shipping operators and ship controllers," Panjaitan noted in a written statement made available to Antara here on Friday.
He also admitted to continuously monitoring developments on the field and continuing to communicate with the transportation minister, National Search and Rescue Agency, as well as regents and related officials.
Also read: Lake Toba's depth hinders rescue efforts
"The National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) is still conducting on-field investigation, and we are awaiting the results. Especially for this indiscipline, I agree with the steps taken by the National Police chief to take action against anyone found guilty in this case. I think the law should be enforced on anyone who has shown negligence, resulting in this accident," Panjaitan stated.
MV Sinar Bangun reportedly capsized in the waters of Lake Toba, between Simanindo sub-district in Samosir district and Tigaras village, Dolok Pardamean sub-district, Simalungun district, North Sumatra province, on Monday at around 05:30 p.m. local time. The joint team has found 19 survivors and three victims after the search process.
Meanwhile, the captain of MV Sinar Bangun survived the incident. He has been secured by the police.
The latest development revealed that the boat carried 206 people while its capacity was only 43 passengers. The captain of MV Sinar Bangun also ignored weather warning issued twice by the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
Lake Toba is the world's deepest volcanic lake having a depth of 900 meters, spanning a surface area of 1,145 square kilometers. It is a popular tourist destination in North Sumatra.
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