Eight killed in Indonesia ferry stampede

By Kathy Quiano, CNN

September 28, 2011 -- Updated 1028 GMT (1828 HKT)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Twenty-seven others are hospitalized with injuries
• The explosion is from a cargo truck parked in the lower deck
• This is the fourth sea transport accident this week in the archipelago

(CNN) -- At least eight people were killed when an explosion triggered a stampede on a docked ferry in central Indonesia on Wednesday, authorities said.

Twenty-seven others were hospitalized with injuries following the incident in Surabaya, East Java.

Panic ensued when the explosion rang out, sending about 875 passengers scrambling to get out, said Marzuki, an official with the local search and rescue agency.

The explosion was from a cargo truck parked in the lower deck of the ferry, the official said. The truck's windshield broke and its engine exploded, but there was no fire, according to the official.

But Transportation Ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said there was a fire in the truck and expressed disappointment that the stampede happened.

Sea transport is essential for travel in the country, but accidents are common. Bad weather, poor maintenance and safety management are often blamed for these accidents.

This is the fourth sea transport accident this week in the archipelago, which has more than 17,000 islands.

"There are clear safety regulations in Indonesia, but there are problems in the implementation on the ground," Ervan said.

Three people were killed Monday when a ferry collided with a tugboat it was towing from Surabaya to Banjarmasin, said the local search and rescue agency. A fire broke out and many passengers jumped off the ferry and were later rescued.

On Saturday, 13 people from a wedding party perished when their boat sank between the islands of Goa-goa and Tondu, also in East Java.

The boat with a capacity of 20 passengers had 36 onboard, authorities said. The local search and rescue agency said the engine broke down and the boat was hit by large waves.

Last week, 25 people died when their boat sank off the coast in Bali. Survivors said the boat was hit by high waves.

Journalist Meidyana Rayana contributed to this report.