The sinking of an overloaded ship carrying cement had a tragic toll, as 8 people lost their lives, in yet another maritime accident in Southeast Asia that screams measures must be taken here and now.
The overloaded cargo ship sank in the Mahakam River in the East Kalimantan province of Indonesia, as stated by the head of the province’s Search and Rescue Office, Dodi Setiawan.
The incident occurred when the ship, which was carrying 28 people, including 3 crew members, sank in the river area in the regency of West Kutai, resulting in 20 people being rescued and 8 being missing.
The rescue operation began immediately with the participation of 50 rescuers with rubber boats. Unfortunately, at 11:50 p.m. local time, all 8 missing people were found dead, with their bodies floating in the river.
The cause of the sinking was the overloaded ship and the strong current prevailing in the river. As we all understand, this particular ship was old and poorly maintained. The ship was carrying cement when the tragedy occurred.
In the last year, we have witnessed a rapid increase in maritime accidents in Asia, and especially in Southeast Asia. The age of the ships, the lack of maintenance, the violation of regulations, and inadequate training are the main causes of these accidents, in which there are often losses of human life.
