Jakarta, IO – Elisabeth fuel tanker ship caught fire near Bali’s Tepekong Island, Karangasem regency, Wednesday (7/8). Five crew members were reportedly killed and 15 others injured as a result of the incident.
Karangasem Police spokesperson I Gede Sukadana said the fire occurred at around 3am WITA. The ship was carrying fuel to Badas Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).
The ship was known to be carrying 21 crew members. Sukadana explained that according to witness statements, there was an explosion heard at around 1.18am WITA on the left side of the crew’s cabin.
The witness then opened the ship’s door and went down to see the conditions under the ship. At that time he saw that many of the ship’s crew members had suffered burns.
“According to witnesses, approximately one and a half hours into the journey, precisely around Gili Tepekong, there was suddenly an explosion causing power failure,” explained Sukadana, as per CNN Indonesia, Thu (8/8).
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“Then there was a second explosion in the engine room. All crew ran to the master station, but there were five people who did not make it,” he added.
Sukadana said that all remaining crew, especially those who suffered burns, were immediately rushed to several hospitals, including 12 who suffered minor injuries to Graha Bakti Hospital in Klungkung regency. Meanwhile, three crew members who sustained burns up to 40 percent are being treated at Prof. Ngoerah General Hospital. (un)