0 Pier battered by strong waves collapses

A large section of the 60-meter fishing pier at the Sangsit village wharf collapsed Sunday night after being battered by powerful ocean waves. The government-owned facility was the main dock for fishing boats operating out of villages on the island’s northern coast. “I heard a loud explosion and I immediately rushed outside to check what was happening. I saw that almost half of the pier had collapsed into the raging sea,” Sangsit fishing wharf acting head Ketut Gelgel said Monday, adding that the incident occurred at around 10 p.m. 

Gelgel and his staff thoroughly inspected the damage sustained to the pier on Monday and found that the collapsed part was 31 meters long, rendering the dock virtually useless for mooring. “We believe that it was caused by a combination of a strong gale and powerful waves.” Gelgel recalled that by Sunday afternoon, the sky was covered with thick, dark clouds. When night descended, strong gales incessantly swept the area. “And the waves were tall and rough. 

We listened as the waves battered the wharf area mercilessly and it climaxed in a loud bang.” Fortunately, the pier was deserted when the incident took place. “Usually, scores of fishing enthusiasts visit the wharf in the afternoons and cast their bait until around midnight. Last night nobody was on the pier.” Gelgel pointed out that the wharf played an important role in the flow of commodities in and out of Buleleng regency. Fishermen from as far as Madura Island in East Java used the wharf to unload their catches. 

It is also used by small-scale shipping companies to drop agricultural produce, cement, sand and roof tiles. “It is a fishing wharf, but the locals also utilized it as a passenger and cargo pier.” During the Moslem end-of-fasting Lebaran exodus, the wharf was a busy passenger pier for traditional boats transporting migrant workers to Madura. “Using a boat to Madura was way quicker than using land transport.” Each year, the wharf saw hundreds of fishing and cargo boats using its facility. 

“The wharf was constructed five years ago to anticipate the increasing traffic at Sangsit traditional port. Three years ago, the construction stage was finished and the wharf became operational.” The wharf was equipped with a diesel refueling depot for the fishing boats. The collapse was the latest in a series of incidents related to bad weather in Buleleng. On Jan. 23, hours of torrential rain and heavy winds that continued until the following day triggered landslides and flooding in five districts across the regency, destroying dozens of houses and killing at least four individuals.

source : bali daily