ASDP: All KMP Batumandi Passengers Evacuated; No Fatalities

The passenger motor vessel KMP Batumandi caught fire in the waters of the Sunda Strait, near Merak Port in Cilegon, Banten, on Tuesday afternoon (20 October).

The incident occurred in the Sunda Strait, behind Pulau Kecil Merak, in Mekarsari, Pulomerak district, Cilegon.

PT Angkutan Sungai, Danau, dan Penyeberangan (ASDP) Indonesia Ferry said all passengers and crew had been evacuated, while efforts to tackle the fire were still under way.

“An operation update: at around 4.15pm (16.15 WIB) this afternoon, one of our vessels on the Bakauheni–Merak express route caught fire as it was preparing to dock at Merak Port,” ASDP corporate secretary Windy Andale told CNN Indonesia TV in a live interview at around 6.18pm.

“Our priority was evacuating the passengers and responding to conditions at the scene. The information we received was that the passengers and crew had been evacuated by around 5pm (17.00 WIB),” she added, responding to a question by telephone.

Windy said ASDP was still awaiting information from the scene about the KMP Batumandi’s manifest.

“We are still verifying the passenger figures. We are also co-ordinating with all stakeholders and those at the scene to manage the incident,” she said.

“So far, we can confirm that all passengers and crew have been evacuated and there have been no fatalities,” she added.

The fire was suspected to have started near the vessel’s stern, she said.

“The initial suspicion is that a spark came from the stern area. We are still investigating this and will co-ordinate with the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) and the police as we monitor the cause of the fire,” Windy said.

As for services at Merak Port, she said it was too early to determine whether they would be disrupted while the fire response continued.

“We cannot yet confirm any disruption to services because we are still co-ordinating. Teams at the scene are continuing their response, including assistance for those affected,” she said.

“The latest information is that firefighting is still under way,” she added.