JAKARTA – Three crew members on a fuel vessel were reportedly killed today after a fire broke out on board in the west coastal waters of Lombok island, Indonesia.
According to the Mataram disaster management agency, the accident occurred at about 2.50pm local time, and rescuers helped save 14 members of the 17-person crew.
The vessel caught fire while waiting in line to unload fuel at Pertamina’s Ampenan depot in the city, its spokesperson Dady Sukmawan said.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, he was quoted by online media as saying.
According to PT Pertamina Patra Niaga for East Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara Barat, PT Pertamina International Shipping hired the vessel, MT Christine, to transport six million litres of fuel to the regions.
Pertamina Patra Niaga would ensure the survivors received the appropriate medical attention and the incident would not disrupt fuel supply, its spokesperson, Taufik Kurniawan said.
It is a subsidiary of the state-owned integrated energy company Pertamina. – Bernama, March 26, 2023
