Indonesia arrests captain of capsized ferry, police say
JAKARTA: An Indonesian police spokesperson said on Thursday that the captain of a ship that capsized in the Java Sea last month has been arrested and will face criminal charges for his role in an accident that killed at least 78 people.
Jakarta, Thursday: Indonesian authorities have announced the arrest of the captain of a ferry that capsized in the Java Sea, killing at least 78 people. The Virgo Transport 8 ferry, carrying 243 passengers, went down in bad weather on September 13 while traveling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin. Of the 243 people on board, 108 were fortunate enough to survive.
Divers have been tirelessly searching the vessel, fighting strong currents and the ship's unstable structure, in an effort to find those still unaccounted for. According to national police spokesperson Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, the captain has been apprehended and is being treated as a criminal suspect. Senior police official Kukuh Prabowo stated that the captain is suspected of breaching Indonesia's shipping laws by knowingly operating an unsafe vessel, a crime punishable by up to ten years in prison if it results in fatalities and property damage.
While the exact nature of the alleged offenses remains undisclosed by Wisnu and Kukuh, the current death toll stands at 78, with 57 people still missing. The search and rescue operation is still in progress.
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