Latest news reports said 194 have been rescued. There have been conflicting reports about the actual number of passengers onboard and whether overloading contributed to the accident. Local media reports said the police had found a difference between the number of passengers declared on the manifest and the actual number of passengers.
According to maritime officials the ferry was licensed to carry 285 passengers and had been certified safe for operation as recently as last week. National Transportation Safety Commission (KNKT) marine accident investigation chief Aldrin Dalimunte said initial investigations indicated the fire was caused by a short circuit in the engine, which also generated power for the boat’s air conditioning system. “Zahro was different from other vessels [serving the route] as it was equipped with an air-conditioning system,” he said.
Preliminary findings suggested the boat did not have a design that was conducive to a smooth evacuation in emergency situations. As the cabins were air-conditioned, the passenger cabins were sealed and had only one exit. “There was only one way out, which was at the front of the vessel. And yet the door was very small and could only be passed through by one person at a time,” he said.
In the aftermath of the accident, it was reported that the police will question the vessel's master, who reportedly was one of the first to abandon ship. Three other crewmen were also being held for questioning.
"The captain will be questioned. We will find out the cause and whether it was because of poor maintenance," National Police chief Tito Karnavian was quoted as saying.
As part of the fallout from the tragedy, Deddy Junaedi, the harbourmaster of Muara Angke Port, has been removed from his post. Transportation Ministry’s director general of sea transportation Tonny Budiono said Deddy was guilty of "administrative neglect" by failing to update Zahro Express’ passenger manifest.
"The official manifest said the boat was carrying 100 people, but reports said there were more than 100 passengers on board the Zahro Express. A witness said there were 184 passengers and another one said there were 250," Tonny said.
He added the harbourmaster also failed to appear at the Muara Angke Port after the boat caught fire on Sunday morning.
KNKT said it will take three months to investigate the cause of the accident. Aldrin noted that investigations would focus on the pace of the fire, which may be linked to the cabin’s design and materials as well as other safety elements such as whether the engine room had a smoke detector and whether fire extinguishers had been effectively deployed.
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