A police spokesperson said that the captain of a ship that capsized in the Java Sea last month has been arrested and will face criminal charges for his role in an accident that killed at least 78 people.
The Virgo Transport 8 ferry was carrying 243 people when it capsized in bad weather in the Java Sea on Sept 13 during a voyage from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan.
Authorities said 108 people survived.
National police spokesperson Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko yesterday said that the ship’s captain has been arrested and named a criminal suspect.
Senior police official Kukuh Prabowo was quoted by state news agency Antara as saying on Wednesday that the captain was suspected of violating Indonesia’s shipping law by knowingly sailing an unseaworthy vessel, an offence punishable by up to 10 years in prison when it causes deaths and property damage.
The current death toll from the incident is 78 people, while 57 people remain missing, Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said late on Wednesday. The search is ongoing. — Reuters
