Recently, an Indonesian cruise ship encountered giant waves while sailing at night in the waters of Bima County, West Nusa Tenggara Province, and subsequently sank after sustaining damage. Fortunately, all 44 people on board (including crew members and tourists) were rescued in the end. One of the Chinese tourists onboard shared their experience of the incident, mentioning that the life raft they boarded after the accident had a leak, drifting on the water for four to five hours with some passengers feeling nauseous.
According to reports from media outlets such as the “Yangtze Evening News” and the “Xiaoxiang Morning News,” the Indonesian 113-ton wooden tourist ship named “Armada Mulia” sank due to being hit by a 2-meter wave on July 16 in the waters off Bima County, West Nusa Tenggara Province. The ship was carrying 8 crew members and 36 tourists.
The rescued Chinese tourist, Ms. Liu, recounted that on July 15, she boarded the Golden Island Cruises company cruise ship from Lombok Island, intending to travel to Komodo Island. Around 5 p.m. on July 16, the ship encountered approximately a 2-meter high wave, causing significant damage to the hull and losing control. Ms. Liu mentioned that before the incident, there were abnormal sounds and smells on the ship, but the crew did not promptly inform the passengers of the danger. It was only around 7:45 p.m. that evening, just before the ship was about to sink, that the crew hastily announced the emergency situation, leading to chaotic scenes.
Passengers were forced to transfer to life rafts. Ms. Liu was on a life raft with about 8 to 9 people, including another Chinese mother and 3 children. They drifted on the dark sea for four to five hours. Recalling the experience, Ms. Liu mentioned that the life raft had air leaks, causing the roof to collapse, and some passengers vomited out of fear. Two hours later, even the back of the roof had deflated due to air leaks.
By the time night fell after four to five hours, they were rescued by a passing cruise ship, and then transferred to another cruise ship where they spent the night on the deck before being taken to shore by a maritime vessel the next day. It was through a video taken by fellow passengers on the ship that Ms. Liu learned that the cruise ship they were on the previous night had sunk. On July 20, Ms. Liu received the accident investigation report from the Indonesian government, stating that the ship sank due to damages caused by waves over 2 meters high.
The incident revealed multiple safety issues with the involved cruise ship: inadequate wind resistance of the hull, faulty life-saving equipment, and the crew’s failure to promptly inform passengers of the situation and provide effective guidance when the danger occurred.
After the accident, Ms. Liu returned to Bali to recuperate and had booked a return flight scheduled for July 22. Her clothes and valuables sank with the ship, and her original plan to return to Bali from Komodo Island was disrupted as she couldn’t use the flight ticket due to the shipwreck.
Ms. Liu emphasized that the accident resulted in the loss of electronic devices and personal belongings, totaling over 10,000 RMB. The travel agency initially promised to refund all expenses and compensate for lost items and flight tickets but later stated they would only reimburse 50% of the tour fee and would do so within 1 to 3 months.
Ms. Liu stated that legal action may be taken to seek compensation. Some foreign tourists are considering contacting lawyers to jointly seek redress.