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Locals haunted by Jakarta boat tragedy, call for improved safety
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Poor safety – A boat passes waters off the Muara Angke Port in North Jakarta on Thursday. The Zahro Express boat disaster, which killed 23 passengers on Sunday, highlights the issue of the safety of boats serving Muara Angke-Thousand Islands routes. (JP/Safrin La Batu)
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ocal residents of Tidung Island, Thousand Islands regency, said they were terrified by the Zahro Express boat incident that killed 23 passengers on Sunday morning, saying such an incident had never happened before.
Mayasaro, 28, a Tidung Island resident who occasionally travels to Jakarta to meet relatives and buy basic needs, said she now felt afraid for her safety traveling by boat after the fatal incident.
“But what can I do? I have to cross the sea to get here,” Mayasaro told The Jakarta Post as she arrived at Muara Angke Harbor in North Jakarta on Thursday.
Spending around two hours on a small boat to reach the port, Mayasaro said she expected safety controls and the supervision of all boats serving Muara Angke-Thousand Islands routes to undergo improvements.
(Read also: First body of 17 missing after ferry fire found)
Mayasaro, who came to Jakarta for a holiday, said she had never heard of an incident as big as what happened to the Zahro Express motor boat.
“As a local who travels very often, I hope the safety of passenger services on all boats operating here can be improved very soon," the local said, adding she paid Rp 45,000 (US$3.3) for a one-way ticket.
Similarly, another Tidung Island resident, Suhardy, said he was reminded of the incident each time he was on board a boat departing for Jakarta. “I still need to travel. I cannot avoid it,” he said.
The Zahro Express caught fire on Sunday morning on its way from Muara Angke to Tidung Island. Of hundreds of passengers on board, 130 survived and 23 died. The Transportation Ministry earlier said 17 passengers had been missing; however, one of them was reported to have been found on Wednesday. (ebf)
