The 106 meter long, 6471 dwt freighter Agnes went aground in the Lombok Strait near West Lombok, Indonesia. The Agnes had departed Pelabuhan Lembar in ballast en route to Singapore when it ran aground. No reports of injuries to the 20 crew on board. Authorities plan to refloat the vessel on the next high tide. Reports state there was bad weather and rough seas at the time of the grounding.
The 765 dwt ro-ro ferry Bahuga Jaya was in collision with the 110 meter long, 10003 dwt LNG tanker Norgas Cathinka in the Sunda Strait near Bakauheni, Lampung, Indonesia. The ferry had more than 210 passengers and 78 vehicles on board when the tanker collided with the ferry leaving a large hole in the hull. The crew was able to send out a distress call before the ferry flooded, but the passengers and crew were forced to jump overboard most without life jackets. It took less than 20 minutes before the ferry capsized and sank. Ten merchant vessels and local vessels rushed to the aid and rescued over 200 passengers and crew clinging to debris from the water. Along with survivors, eight bodies were also recovered. Reports state the death toll may rise to more than 40 as some passengers may have been trapped in their vehicles when the Bahuga Jaya sank. More than 80 survivors were sent to hospital from injuries sustained in the incident. No injuries or damage reported on the tanker. The Bahuga Jaya regularly sailed between ports between Java and Sumatra.
The wooden passenger/cargo ship Putri Ayu sank off the central area of Maluku Province, Indonesia. The vessel had left Slamet Riyadi during the night with building materials, food stuffs and 27 passengers and crew on board. As the Purti Ayu proceeded the weather deteriorated as strong winds and waves continue to batter the ship. Three hours after leaving port, the vessel was struck by a series of huge waves some reaching 5 meters high. The waves overwhelmed the passenger ship flooding the engine room causing the main engine to fail. Without power, the Putri Ayu quickly broke up sending passengers and crew into the water. The local authorities dispatched search and rescue craft to the area. Rescuers pulled 12 survivors from the water and continue to look for the remaining 15 people who were still missing. No vessel details were reported.
Authorities have revised the number of people on board the Putri Ayu to 70. Searchers are now looking for some 58 people still missing since the vessel capsized and sank. So far, no bodies have been recovered.
