On the afternoon of July 19, the passenger ship Wonder Sea capsized in Halong Bay near Dau Go Cave, Vietnam. The Wonder Sea was out on an excursion voyage with 53 persons on board, 48 passengers and 5 crew, when it was caught out in a storm. Reports state the Wonder Sea lost stability in strong winds and capsized.
Photo: x.com
Vietnamese authorities were alerted with vessels from the navy, border patrol, local police and port authorities responding. Over 25 vessels were engaged in a search and rescue operation looking for survivors. Initial reports state some 11 people had been rescued from the water. Unfortunately some 34 bodies have also been recovered from the sea.
The search for the missing persons had some difficulty in the darkness and heavy rains still persist in the area. Divers continue to search the overturned Wonder Sea. The incident is under investigation.
On the afternoon of July 5, an 40-seat passenger excursion vessel capsized at Dongjiang Lake near the city of Zixing, China. Reports state a strong sudden gust of wind reaching 30 meters per second struck the passenger ship causing the vessel to capsize and sending 29 people into the water. Twenty-seven would be later rescued, but 2 people would perish during the incident. A search and rescue would recover the bodies by the following day.
Photo: xinhua
Photo: xinhua
Photo: nfnews.com
Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. Initial reports state the vessel was not overloaded and there were no prior issues with the vessel. The name of the vessel was not disclosed.
On the night of July 2, the 63 meter long, 955 dwt ro-ro passenger ferry Tunu Pratama Jaya (IMO: 8749432) sank in the Bali Strait off Ketapang Port, Indonesia. The ferry was making a regular crossing between Ketapang Port, Banyuwangi to Gilimanuk Port, Bali when it suffered water ingress in the engine room. The flooding could not be contained and the Tunu Pratama Jaya suffered a total power blackout a few minutes later. Adrift and being pulled by the strong currents, the ferry rolled in rough seas. The Tunu Pratama Jaya continued to roll until it finally lost stability allowing water to rush over its decks causing the ferry to capsize and sink in the middle of the strait.
The Tunu Pratama Jaya was able to send out a distress call with another ferry the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya 3888 responding. Unfortunately, the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya 3888 was unable to evacuate passengers or crew before the ferry sank. The Indonesian Navy, local water police and several volunteers began a search and operation looking for survivors in the water. Authorities report that 35 survivors were pulled from the water along with 6 bodies recovered.
The Tunu Pratama Jaya had listed to have 53 passengers and 12 crew on board, but this number may not match to the total who were on board during the incident. Reports state that rough seas with waves of 2 meters have hampered search efforts.
Photo: seblang.com
Photo: seblang.com
Photo: okezone.com
Photo: Bali Search and Rescue
Witness accounts stated the vessel was rolling badly before it finally capsized. These accounts stated that the vessel did not attempt to distribute life jackets before it sank. One account stated the passengers swam free of the ferry and found several life jackets in the water before being rescued by a local fisherman. The exact cause of the water ingress is still under investigation by authorities. Reports states that authorities halted the search and rescue operations later on July 3.
