Join our crew and become one of the 104,495 members that receive our newsletter.

Engineer Recounts How Indonesian Tsunami Beached His 500-Tonne Ship

Engineer Recounts How Indonesian Tsunami Beached His 500-Tonne Ship

Reuters
Total Views: 152
October 4, 2018

FILE PHOTO: Local residents affected by the earthquake and tsunami stand next to the KM Sabuk Nusantara 39 ship stranded on the shore in Wani, Donggala, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, October 3, 2018. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

reuters logoBy Kanupriya Kapoor and Tom Allard WANI, Indonesia, Oct 4 (Reuters) – Ship’s engineer Charles Marlan had the unsettling sensation his vessel was being sucked out to sea, the telltale sign of an imminent tsunami, just minutes after a major earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Friday.

His passenger and cargo vessel, the 500-tonne KM Sabuk Nusantara 39, was docked in Wani, east of the city of Palu, which suffered the brunt of the disaster.

“The whole ship was shaking, everything in our bunks started falling,” Marlan said.

The ship was picked up by the tsunami rushing in from the sea and slammed onto land, crashing into a dockside settlement.

And that’s where it lies, high and dry, nearly a week after the earthquake and tsunami devastated the area, killing at least 1,424 people.

The KM Sabuk Nusantara 39 ship seen stranded on the shore in Wani, Donggala, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia October 1, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Muhammad Adimaja/ via REUTERS 

Marlan and his fellow crewmen knew they were in trouble when they felt the ship being pulled back out to sea from the dock, as the sea receded, heralding the arrival of a tsunami.

They had no sooner scrambled into life jackets when a five-meter wave bore down on them.

“I could hear the waves coming,” Marlan said, describing how he was gripped by fear.

“The waves carried us very fast and before we knew it, we were sitting on land,” he said in an interview aboard the ship, which sits balanced precariously, its propeller and rudder exposed, hanging dusty meters above the ground.

No one on the boat was hurt.

Now Marlan and 20 crewmen are stranded, awaiting a decision on what should be done from the national ferry operator, which owns the vessel.

They survive on handouts from passing ferries and while away the time, attending a roll-call every now and then and chatting with neighborhood kids who climb up on board.

Marlan said he was thankful his ship had not killed anyone when it was hurled onto the land, as far as they knew.

“What is important is we are alive and for that we should be grateful.” (Editing by Robert Birsel and Nick Macfie)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2018.

Tags:

Unlock Exclusive Insights Today!

Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.

Sign Up
Back to Main
polygon icon polygon icon

Why Join the gCaptain Club?

Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.

Sign Up
close

JOIN OUR CREW

Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 104,495 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.

Join Our Crew

Join the 104,495 members that receive our newsletter.