The Ro/Pax ferry Sabuk Nusantara 34 ran aground on August 23 with 171 passengers on board shortly after leaving the Saumlaki port on Jaumdena Island, Indonesia, according to local media.
The duty officer apparently made a navigational error due to the lack of fairway navigational marks in treacherous waters around the Jaumdena Island.
The ferry hit a rocky shallow and is reportedly stuck hard. The initial inspection has shown a slight damage to the vessel’s hull. However, the grounding totally destroyed the ship’s propeller, leaving it without propulsion.
Indonesian navy ship transported all of the passengers back to the Saumlaki port. There have been no injuries to the passengers and the crew.
Salvage teams said that an attempt to refloat the ferry will be made during high tide.
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