Jakarta – The Transportation Ministry should be held responsible for the Dumai ferry tragedy that claimed at least 14 lives last Sunday, because according to IMO regulations, fiberglass-hulled boats must not be used in high seas or to ferry public passengers, the Indonesian Sefarers' Association (KPI) says.

"The ill-fated passenger ship was not built for that purpose. The question is how did the government – the Directorate General for Sea Transportation – allow a fiberglass-hulled boat to carry public passengers?" KPI chairman Hanafi Rustandi said here Thursday.

Hanafi called on the National Committee for Transportation Safety (KNKT) to investigate not only the causes of the accident, but also the construction of the ship, to learn whether it had met international standards.

In general, fiberglass is only allowed for yachts, and fiberglass-hulled yachts are forbidden from operating in high seas where they are exposed to larger waves, he said.

"Fiberglass-hulled boats are not supposed to be used to ferry passengers in high seas because they are prone to fracturing."