JAKARTA, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) — Indonesian police said Sunday that a ferry carrying 213 people was rammed by high tides but not capsized on its regular route from Batam, an Indonesian island border with Singapore, to bangkalis in Riau provinces.
Police oversees the area where a passenger ferry was reported sunk in Tanjung Balai Karimum waters said on Sunday that the ferry was not capsized, all passengers were safe, a local TV reported here Sunday.
Raja Butet Abas, Belakang Padang Police Chief said that the Dumai Ekspres 10 ferry serving Batam to Bengkalis was not capsized, adding that the ferry was only rammed by high tides that made its passengers panic.
“The ferry is now anchored in Moro port, all passengers were in shocked condition. We are yet to have report on passengers treated in hospitals regarding over this incident,” Raja Butet was quoted as saying in a direct interview with Metro TV.
Raja said that the ferry carrying 213 was on its regular route from Batam, an Indonesian island border with Singapore, to bangkalis in Riau provinces.
Raja said that the boat was only swayed hard from the high tide that the passengers said as high as 1.5 meter.
Earlier reports said that more than 200 passengers onboard Dumai Ekspres 10 ferry feared drawn and missing following a report on the capsize of the ferry on 10.30 local time.
