Ilustration (IST)
Jayapura , 10/3 ( Jubi ) – A total of 21,000 ballots to be used in next month’s legislative elections have been damaged after a ship carrying them was hit by a huge wave, police said.
The Marthen Indey Motor Vessel ( KM ) was engulfed by a three-meter wave in the Muara Biri river, Sarmi waters on Friday (7/3 ), causing its engine to stall, Papua Police spokesman Senior Commissioner Sulistyo Pudjo Hartono said.
“The ship was chartered by a third party to deliver logistics to Mambramo Raya regency. But, about 06.30 (local time), its engine was broken, ” Sulistyo said on Monday ( 10/3 ).
There were no casualties in the incident , the police said but 110 passengers were evacuated by security forces to the Komra village, Biri River district, Hartono said. He said 21 of 92 boxes of ballots for the April 9 elections were soaked by water.
Papua Election Commissioner on Legal and Supervision Division, Tarwinto said each box contained 1,000 sheets of cardboard ballots.
Separately, Papua deputy police chief Paulus Waterpauw said the ship ran aground because the waves crashed into shallow water and hit a sand dune .
“We have deployed police officers from Sarmi to save the rest of the ballots, ” said Paul . ( Jubi / Indrayadi TH/ Tina )
