Reading news reports about a ship capsizing and sinking in the Mediterranean Sea, killing hundreds, brought to mind the Sewol ferry tragedy in South Korea about a year ago, which killed more than 300, many of them young students.
In both incidents, there will be no closure for the families of the victims. Both had safety lapses, such as overloading and overcrowding.
To boost profit, some ships may carry more passengers and cargo than they are allowed to, ignoring the danger of doing so and putting innocent passengers’ lives at risk.
In Singapore, many people take ferries to the nearby islands to work or for leisure. Operators of these ferries must remain vigilant, be well-trained and able to cope with unexpected incidents. They will be the only ones guiding their passengers out of danger should any unpleasant incident happen at the sea.
On the ferries, passengers should note where the life vests are stored, so that in case of an emergency, besides following the instructions of the crew, there will be less panic.
While the journey to and from our nearby islands is comparatively short, all should not take safety for granted even within our relatively sheltered waters.
