Snapshot of misleading sunken ferry image

A photo claiming to show a sunken ferry resting on the bottom of an Indonesian lake is not authentic

  • This article is more than one year old.
  • Published on July 5, 2018 at 18:00
  • Updated on July 6, 2018 at 11:34
  • 2 min read

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A widely circulated image that purportedly shows a sunken ferry, which had capsized on a giant Indonesian lake, has been reported as fact by some online news portals and raised hopes of finding the bodies of more than 160 passengers presumed dead. The image does not show that ferry, according to an analysis of the photo, and authorities say the picture is a hoax.

This report on June 26 includes the photo of a boat resting on a sandy floor in murky green water. 

An English translation of the article’s headline is: “This is the photo!!! The remains of KM Sinar Bangun have been found intact at the bottom of Toba lake.”

KataKita, an Indonesian Facebook group with 930,000 followers, also shared the image in a post announcing that the vessel had been found.

Screenshot of KataKita post

Authorities announced on June 29 that they had found the vessel, with more than 160 people presumed dead, at the bottom of Lake Toba.

However they later said the vessel, and the bodies of the missing passengers believed to be still inside, would not be recovered due to a lack of advanced technology to get to the boat, which was about 420 metres (1,400  feet) below the surface.

The image purportedly showing the vessel led some to believe the bodies of those missing could be recovered.

“We must be grateful for the news because it raises hopes for the families of the victims that they'll be able to get the missing bodies,” said one of the more than 100 comments accompanying the KataKita post.

However an image of the vessel before it sank that the transport ministry distributed to the media shows distinct differences with the one in the misleading image.

One difference is the front door on the right hand side of each boat are in different positions. The two images can be inspected in this side-by-side comparison. AFP placed the two images together in Photoshop and cropped them for size but did not otherwise change them.

The KM Sinar Bangun before it sank (left) and the misleading image (right)

Other photos of the vessel before it sank available online match the one provided by the transport ministry.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho also tweeted to his 70,000 followers that the image purportedly showing the sunken ferry was a hoax.

“It’s dark, cold and we don’t have the equipment or divers to reach the bottom of the lake,” Sutopo said in the tweet.

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