GILIMANUK, Indonesia — E be wahala o! Dem rescuers dey search for 32 people wey still dey miss after one ferry wey carry 65 people sink close to Bali. This tragedy happen on top water late Wednesday night, as di KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya don leave Ketapang port for East Java, heading to Bali. Na about 30 miles trip, but e no last long before di ferry begin dey tilt like say e wan dance Azonto.
As we dey talk, dem don recover four bodies, and dem rescue 29 people, but family members for di port dey shout and dey cry as dem dey search for news about their loved ones, hoping say dem go see dem again (Na so family matter dey be, e no easy at all). Rescuers don scatter with nine boats including two tug boats and plenty fishermen to hustle for people wey fit dey trapped.
Weather no too gree dem overnight, as di strong waves reach 2 meters high (6.5 feet) and darkness no gree dem shine shine eyes. But as morning show face, di weather improve, help dem continue di search for survivors. National Search and Rescue Agency get di info say di ferry carry 53 passengers, 12 crew members, and 22 vehicles, wey include 14 trucks.
One officer wey dey on duty for port witness as di ferry dey sink before dem even call rescue team. Di head of Surabaya Search and Rescue agency, Nanang Sigit, talk say, “Di ferry no fit contact us via radio from di beginning. When we finally hear from dem, di ship don dey tilt already. We dey focus search for di people wey dey water now, because di initial victims dem find for di water.
Di police chief for Banyuwangi, Rama Samtama Putra, talk say many of di people wey dem rescue don dey unconscious after dem don drift for choppy waters, e no easy abeg. Dem dey treat di survivors for hospital and di port office for Gilimanuk. Family members dey rush enter di port in panic, wey no wan hear say dia padi don enter wahala (who go blame dem? Na family matter wey concern dem).
Dem dey investigate di cause of di accident, and some survivors don talk say dem suspect say e get leak for di engine room of di ferry. One survivor of 64 years, Supardi, explain how di ferry start to tilt and e almost jump enter water before di boat go don sink fully. E and three other padi gather for water, hold life jackets to maintain demself afloat.
Dis kind ferry tragedies na common for Indonesia, wey be archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, and safety regulations dey often dey like ghost (Na wa, how many more tragedies we go see before we go fit improve?). As di search dey continue, dem dey hope say di missing persons go soon show face. Shout out to all di rescuers wey dey risk dia life for this recovery mission — una too much!
