KM Gurita is a ferry passenger ship that sank between 5 and 6 nautical miles from Balohan Bay Waters, Sabang City, Aceh, which occurred on January 19, 1996. KM Gurita is the main means of transportation that connects Malahayati Port, Banda Aceh and Sabang. Based on the data gathered, 40 people were declared safe, 54 people were found dead, and 284 people were declared missing along with KM Gurita which was not successfully lifted from the seabed.
Type: Ferry Roll On - Roll Off (RORO)
Length: 32.45 meters
Width: 7.82 meters
Height: 2.54 meters
Parking Parking Length: 2.30 meters
Year of Manufacture: 1970
Place of Manufacture: Bina Simpaku, Tokyo, Japan
Weight: 196.08 Ton
Passenger Capacity: 210 people
This ship departs from Malahayati Harbor, Aceh Besar, at 18:45 pm to Sabang city dated January 19, 1996. According to the plan, the ship should arrive at the Port of Balohan at 21.00 pm. This ship according to eyewitness accounts witnessed the departure of the ship, see the ship is excess and loaded, because the ship has a capacity of 210 people, it was crowded up to 378 people (282 residents Sabang, 200 residents outside Sabang, and 16 Citizens Foreigners), and it was worsened by the cargo of goods reaching 50 tons, covering 10 tons of cement, 8 tons of fuel, 15 tons of electric concrete piles, food clothing and Sabang society needs as well as 12 four-wheeled vehicles and 16 two wheels. The incident occurred three days before the implementation of fasting, which is January 22, 1996. Friday afternoon was crowded once the passengers who want to leave for Sabang with Motor Vessel Crossing (KMP) gurita who leaned on the Port of Malahayati Harbor, Aceh Besar. Nothing strange when a number of passengers moved into the old classified ship. Only the load is crowded and as if this has become commonplace. Sailing schedule on Friday afternoon, January 19, 1996 was increasingly crowded as it welcomed the entry of the holy month of Ramadan which falls on January 22, 1996. In the tradition of the people of Aceh, one or two days before Ramadan is meugang, where at that moment all family members might get together. Eyewitnesses who did not depart with KMP Gurita because the condition of passenger-laden vessels to admit, when leaving the Port of Malahayati, the ill-fated ship loaded with passengers and goods.
"I was afraid to see the ship, so I went down and canceled to leave," said David, a resident of Sabang who canceled his intention to ride KM Gurita that night. As a trader accustomed to boarding KM Gurita, David admits, on the eve of departure from the port of Malahayati, his fear can not be denied. He was nervous. There was a heart whisper that forbade David to go that night. "That whisper is what keeps me safe," he said.
Another story is also the same tone, expressed by Buchari (27), a young man known as a computer teacher in Sabang. He recounted, that night he did not come back to Sabang, because there is "something" that forbids. In fact, Buchari's name has been listed as the number one passenger on the manifest. "I survived, because I wanted to go home that night," Buchari said.
In the dreadful darkness of night, KM Gurita experienced weather and wind disturbance from the east. The occurrence of interference, plus a load that exceeds capacity, resulting in the ship becomes shaky. The skipper could not control the ship that shuddered left and right. Eyewitnesses said at 8:15 pm, the crossing was still visible from the port of Balohan. The relatives who had come to pick up did not expect the ship to be disturbed and were struggling with the storm. The lights are still visible from KM Gurita. But at around 8:30 pm, the crossing ship was no longer visible. Until then, there was not a single official in the port of Sabang who claimed the vessel was misfortune. Search continues. relationship with the ship is lost. There was no sign of anything acceptable from the ferry. The certainty of the accident was only known four hours after the incident, when one of the residents of Pasiran, Kota Bawah Timur, Syahril (22 years) passengers KM Gurita able to swim across the ocean with violent waves and stranded in Keuneukai Bay. The news that brought Syahril was what ensured that KM Gurita sank near the bay of Balohan. since then, people in Sabang Port have become restless. Some still remain steadfast awaiting the arrival of his family, but some start to search the list of passengers.
From the narrative Syahril saying that the sinking ship, it was concluded that the results of a final investigation of the fact finding team that worked for a month states, the number of passengers in the KM Gurita was 378 people. The number of people was obtained after all data entered from each region. Of that number, the majority came from Sabang, reaching 282 people and 16 foreign nationals (WNA). Actually, since a few years ago people in Aceh, especially on the island of Sabang, had predicted an unfortunate occurrence of KM Gurita. The estimate was after seeing the condition of the ferry crossing that often cough and not fit to sail again. However, due to the limited transportation fleet, the Directorate General of Land Transportation in this case PT ASDP (River, Lake and Ferry Transport) continues to operate regularly the old ships made in 1970 at the Bina Simpaku shipyard, Tokyo, japan.
we expect all the victims to have a place worthy of His side..