Vessel Intentionally Run Aground to Avoid Sinking After Allision
A ferry collided with an anchored Ro Pax vessel off the northwestern coast of Java, Indonesia, causing the crew of the struck vessel to run their ship aground to avoid sinking.
The incident occurred at 0700 hours on Sunday morning when the ferry, named “MABUHAY NUSANTARA,” approached the Ro/Pax vessel “KMP LABITRA KARINA,” which was anchored at the port of MERAK in the Bentan province.
According to a regional transport safety official, the Labitra crew had noticed the MABUHAY NUSANTARA heading towards them on a collision course and attempted to contact the approaching vessel multiple times over VHF. However, the MABUHAY NUSANTARA remained unresponsive and continued to approach, causing the allision that resulted in multiple hull penetrations and flooding on the Labitra.
Upon realizing that the ship was sinking, the Labitra crew started the engine, heaved anchor, and ran the ship aground in shallow waters off Hotel Marak Beach. Labitra’s operator confirmed that the vessel's master had been instructed to intentionally ground the ship.
No passengers were on board the Labitra at the time of the incident, and most of the crew evacuated, except for a few who stayed behind to manage the casualty response and salvage operations.
