Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
PT Pertamina International Shipping (PIS) revealed that the initial suspicion of the fire on the MT Kristin ship carrying fuel was due to a fire originating from the forecastle or front mooring deck.
PIS Public Relations Roberth Marcelino said the incident in the waters of Mataram City, NTB occurred when the ship was anchoring.
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“The fire point appears to have come from the forecastle or the front mooring deck and the cause of the fire is still being investigated further,” he said in a written statement on Sunday (26/3).
Robert said that as many as 17 crew members tried optimally to extinguish the fire, but had not been successful. So, the captain decided to immediately evacuate.
During the evacuation process, the three crew members who were carrying out anchor operations first jumped into the sea and are currently still being searched for.
Meanwhile, 14 other crew confirmed safe. According to Robert, during the evacuation process the crew were assisted by local fishermen.
“The surviving crew are currently at the Ampenan fuel terminal,” he said.
Robert said the PIS Emergency Response Team continues to coordinate with the local Kesyahbandaran and Port Authority (KSOP) office, Pelindo, and other authorities for the evacuation process, management of ship crews, and blackouts.
“PIS emphasizes the need to prioritize and call for the importance of safety aspects in all operational activities both for the ship’s crew and also ensuring the cargo of the ship’s cargo,” he said.
The MT Kristin ship is a ship owned by PT Hanlyn Jaya Mandiri which is currently being chartered by PIS to transport fuel to TBBM Ampenan and TBBM Sanggar.
The MT Kristin ship caught fire in waters not far from the Ampenan BBM Terminal in Mataram City, NTB, Sunday (26/3) at around 15.30 WITA.
“We received a report from a resident named Dady Sukmawan who happened to be at his parents’ house in Ampenan Bugis Village, which is close to the incident site,” said Public Relations of the Mataram SAR Office, I Gusti Lanang Wiswananda.
Until this afternoon the fire was still visible. The ship had also moved away from the Pertamina Ampenan Depot to avoid an explosion because there were also fishing boats in the vicinity.
(mrh/from)
(Gambas:Video CNN)