Ditpolairud Jambi Police Call BPTD-KSOP To The Tongkang Ship Company That Hit The Muara Tembesi Bridge

Illustration. The barge was carrying coal across the Musi River, Palembang, South Sumatra, Thursday, January 3, 2019. (ANTARA-Nova W)

JAMBI - The police immediately summoned the company to investigate the incident of a tugboat and a coal-carrying barge that crashed into the Muara Tembesi Bridge on Sunday, May 5.

Director of the Jambi Regional Police (Ditpolairud) Kombes Pol Agus Tri Waluyo said that his party had checked the field with the village secretary (Sekdes) and the community of Pralayan Village, Muara Tembesi for questioning regarding the incident at the location.

"We have sent letters to parties involved such as the Land Transportation Management Center (BPTD), the Harbormaster Office and Port Authority (KSOP), the Jambi National Road Implementation Center (BPJN) IV, as well as ship owners, skippers and crew members (ABK) for questioning," he said in Jambi, Tuesday, May 7, confiscated by Antara.

The investigators are currently asking for witness statements from the scene, namely local residents who saw and listened to the incident as material for the investigation by the Jambi Waters police.

For the chronology of the incident, investigators said that there were reports from the surrounding community hearing a loud sound as if there was a vehicle accident, then witness Romadhon ran towards the edge of the river near the bridge where at that time he arrived on the edge of the river seeing a pontoon ship having pulled over to the edge of the bridge.

Furthermore, witness Romadhon turned on the flashlight, at the same time the ship turned off the ship's lights, then turned on the back beam facing the pontoon, then the witnesses were told by residents to chase and record the video of the ship.

"Today we conducted an examination of three witnesses from residents of the community around the bridge who witnessed and knew and also received direct information from the captain of the ship that grazed the bridge pole," said Kombes Pol Agus Tri Waluyo.