JAKARTA, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government will conduct a comprehensive review of the country's maritime safety system following a series of recent ship accidents, Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said Wednesday.
Speaking at a parliamentary hearing, Dudy said the review would go beyond checking seaworthiness documents to assess whether safety systems are effectively implemented in daily operations.
The review follows two recent ferry fires. The Mutiara Sentosa II caught fire on Aug. 2 while sailing from Surabaya to Makassar, killing five people and forcing the evacuation of more than 200. Authorities also found discrepancies between the passenger manifest and the number of people on board.
Ten days later, the Putri Yasmin caught fire in the Lombok Strait while sailing from Bali to West Nusa Tenggara, leaving at least one passenger dead. More than 200 people were evacuated, and discrepancies were also found in the vessel's passenger manifest.
Dudy said the review would examine fire-protection systems, crew preparedness, the condition of vehicles and cargo, and crews' ability to respond to emergencies.
The ministry could impose operational restrictions or prohibit vessels from sailing if safety violations are found, he said.
"There must be no compromise on findings that are directly related to safety," Dudy said. ■