An Indonesian inter-island ferry ran aground early on August 23. 202 passengers and 17 crew were safely evacuated while the investigation is ongoing into the circumstances behind the grounding.
The official report is that the vessel encountered bad weather with rain and fog greatly reducing visibility. Namely, it was still dark, but reports say that the waters were calm and only a slight wind.
However, local media cite comments from the local police which claim that crew negligence was a contributing factor to the grounding.
In fact, the captain of the vessel reportedly had excused herself leaving the bridge to go to the bathroom. While she was off the bridge she left the first officer in command.
Returning to the bridge, the captain discovered that the ferry was heading for the shoreline. As she said, she tried to grab the wheel and avoid the reef, but the effort was unsuccessful.
What is more, unconfirmed media also report that the first officer had fallen asleep while the captain was in the bathroom.
