Sinking of MV Teratai Prima

Sinking of MV Teratai Prima

MV Teratai Prima prior to its sinking
Date	11 January 2009; 16 years ago (2009-01-11)
Time	Around 04:00 a.m local time (UTC+8)
Location	Batu Roro, Makassar Strait, Majene, West Sulawesi, Indonesia
Coordinates	03°27′00″S 118°47′00″E / 3.45000°S 118.78333°E / -3.45000; 118.78333
Cause	Overloading Inclement weather Flooding on the engine compartment
Outcome	Capsized in Makassar Strait
Deaths	9 confirmed
Non-fatal injuries	35
Missing	321 (presumed dead)
Suspects	Sabir bin Andae, Captain
Charges	Negligence
Verdict	9 years in prison

The sinking of MV Teratai Prima occurred on 11 January 2009, around 04:00 local time (January 10, 21:00 UTC) when a ferry carrying more than 300 people capsized in the Makassar Strait off West Sulawesi,^[1] Survivors stated that the ferry had been slammed by 4-metre (13 ft) waves twice. The first one hit so hard that the ship became unbalanced (witnesses said the angle approached 30 degrees), before another wave hit from a different direction and sank the vessel.

Indonesian officials stated that more than 300 people were aboard the sunken ferry. In the following days, 35 survivors were evacuated from the site of the sinking. More than 300 people were listed as missing, all of them were presumed dead. With the deaths of more than 300 people, the sinking is regarded as the deadliest maritime disaster in Indonesia since the sinking of MV Senopati Nusantara in 2006.^[2]

The National Transportation Safety Committee published the final report. The investigation found that the ferry was overloaded during the sinking. The Captain had also ignored warnings of bad weather from officials of the local meteorological agency. Further investigation revealed that during the disaster, water rushed into the engine compartment. The investigation also revealed that the cargo were not properly loaded so the center of gravity of the ferry had shifted. The ferry lost its stability and capsized to its side.^[2]