An Indonesian inter-island cargo ship, KM Lintas Damani 5, crushed a fishing boat that apparently lost power and strayed into the shipping lane. A reported 15 crewmembers aboard the disabled fishing boat all jumped overboard and all, apparently, survived.
The accident happened near the South Sulawesi region in western Indonesia. The vessels were near the southern end of the Makassar Strait when the collision occurred.
A South Sulawesi Police spokesman said that “there was a sea accident between the cargo ship and the fishing boat which caused the sinking of the fishing boat”.
The engine of the fishing boat reportedly failed while they were at sea and two other boats working in the same area were towing the fishing vessel back to shore. The boats towing the fishing boat into the shipping lane. In a video of the event posted to Instagram, people can be heard screaming as the cargo ship approaches.
One of the boats conducting the tow reported that it attempted to call the approaching ship on the radio, but received no response.
The Lintas Damani 5, built in China in 2000, can be seen approaching the fishing boat and catching the vessel, and pushing it under the cargo ship’s bulbous bow. The 2,995gt vessel eventually comes to stop, with the wreckage of the fishing vessel still under its bow.
Authorities have indicated that they believe the incident was an accident and that the cargo ship was not at fault.
