MV Putra Sejahtera 89, with basic necessities on board, sank in Siak River in the Riau provincial capital of Pekanbaru on Friday, inflicting at least Rp4 billion in losses.
"The loss is estimated to total Rp4 billion," Hariyanto, the ill-fated motor vessel’s owner, stated.
The motor vessel sank whilst it was about to depart from a smallholder port in Limapuluih Sub-district, Pekanbaru, on early Friday.
The vessel overturned and sank after being struck by the water currents of Siak River, the deepest river in Indonesia, he remarked.
"The water currents were strong when the motor vessel turned around and sank afterward," he remarked.
The motor vessel had on board 80 tons of basic necessities. When it sank, some of the items, including biscuits, instant noodles, cooking oil, and eggs, toppled into the river, thereby leading to a skirmish of sorts among the local residents, who scampered about to get hold of them.
The local residents used canoes to get the food items, while others swam near the sunken motor vessel to seize the goods, he stated.
"All the items have been taken away. I could not stop them since they came in large numbers. One to two thousand people were taking the goods," he pointed out.
All six crew members of the ill-fated motor vessel survived the accident.
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Editor : Mahdani
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