President Jokowi Offers Condolences for KM Sinar Bangun Accident
President Jokowi holds press conference regarding KM Sinar Bangun accident at Bogor Presidential Palace, Wednesday (20/6). (Photo by: Bureau of Press, Media and Information of the Presidential Secretariat/Rusman).
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said he has received report from Minister of Transportation and Head of National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) regarding the Motor Vessel (KM) Sinar Bangun accident in Lake Toba, North Sumatera on Monday (18/6).
“On behalf of myself and the Indonesian people, we would like to offer our deepest condolences to the lives lost in the accident,” President Jokowi stated in his statement at Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, Wednesday (20/6).
In the meantime, Head of Basarnas Air Marshal M. Syaugi said that as of Wednesday (20/9) afternoon, 192 passengers of KM Sinar Bangun were reported missing and 21 passengers have been rescued, including 3 dead bodies.
Regarding the missing victims, President Jokowi has instructed the Basarnas, the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), and the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) to immediately find and rescue the victims.
President Jokowi further stressed that the lesson learned from the accident is that everyone should always be careful and vigilant. “All ship owners must obey regulations, prioritize the safety of passengers, and follow directions from the BMKG regarding potential bad weather, the President said, adding that he has also instructed Ministry of Transportation and Department of Transportation in the regions to always conduct regular ramp checks for the safety of passengers.
On that occasion, President Jokowi also ensures that the Government will provide compensation to the families of the fallen victims and cover all medical expenses. The President also expressed his hope that the accident will not happen again and asked Minister of Transportation to evaluate all safety standards for water transport. (UN/ES) (RI/EP/Naster)
