One person has gone missing while another sustained injuries after two passenger vessels collided in Indonesia's Sunda Strait on the afternoon of Monday, April 22.
The incident involving the ferries Virgo 18 and Windu Karsa Dwitya occurred in the waters off Merak in Banten. Virgo 18 was entering the Port of Merak at the same time that Windu Karsa Dwitya was sailing out of the port bound for Bakauheni in Lampung.
The two vessels collided at a point two kilometres off the Port of Merak at approximately 16:30 local time.
On Windu Karsa Dwitya, one crewmember reportedly fell overboard and one of the passengers suffered injuries as a result of the collision. No injuries have been reported among Virgo 18's passengers and crew.
Windu Karsa Dwitya immediately headed back to Merak to allow disembarkation of the passengers and proper assessment of damage. The lone injured passenger was rushed to hospital in Krakatau shortly after the ferry had berthed.
Assessment of Windu Karsa Dwitya revealed the collision left dents and breaching on the vessel's foredeck as well as damage to the starboard side bridge wing. The damage sustained by Virgo 18, which has also since berthed at Merak, was reportedly limited to the stern.
Indonesia's Basarnas national rescue agency is continuing its search for Windu Karsa Dwitya's missing crewmember as it assesses both vessels for any sign of oil spills.