The Butiraoi was a wooden catamaran that was used as a ferry in the South Pacific island nation of Kiribati . On January 18, 2018, the Butiraoi began her voyage from Nonouti to Tarawa and sank on this route.
It was planned that the ferry would reach its destination Tarawa on January 20th after departing on January 18th. After the catamaran did not enter Tarawa at this time, a search operation under the direction of Fiji began with the support of naval aviators from the USA , Australia and New Zealand . On January 28, a lifeboat with eight survivors of the disaster was discovered southeast of Nauru , where debris was also found. The survivors were picked up by the Lomalo fishing boat . No further survivors were found during the intensified search in the surrounding area, so that more than 80 deaths are assumed.
Investigations
The disaster was a dominant issue in the Kiribati public for months and the investigations were followed with great attention. The overloading of the 17.5 meter long catamaran was identified as a central reason for the sinking of the Butiraoi . Both the number of passengers and the cargo of the ferry, which consisted mainly of coconuts, overloaded the capacity of the catamaran, which was actually only designed for 25 people, but carried more than 80 people that day. In addition, the Butiraoi had already been declared unseaworthy during a repair before take-off and, among other things, had too few life jackets on board. Another result of the investigation that reached the public was the fact that crew members had consumed alcohol the previous evening. However, it could not be confirmed that the crew was drunk during the journey.
Political Consequences
The case also made waves politically. On the one hand, improved safety standards and controls were called for on the ferries that constantly operate between the countless islands of Kiribati. In addition, the parliamentary opposition tabled a motion that the government should be responsible for the disaster. On May 2nd this application was rejected.
Individual evidence
↑ Paul Hancock: MV Butiraoi . In: Shipwreck Log. January 27, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2019 (American English).
↑ Kiribati mourn's biggest disaster . February 2, 2018 ( bbc.com [accessed February 23, 2019]).
