ASDP Ensures Ketapang–Gilimanuk Ferry Service Continues Smoothly

PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) has confirmed that ferry crossing operations at Ketapang Port continue to operate normally following a fire incident in one of the cabins aboard KMP Portlink VII on Wednesday, 11 March 2026 evening. The incident was swiftly contained without loss of life, whilst further inspections are being conducted to ensure the vessel’s readiness before returning to service.

The fire was reported to have occurred at approximately 20:08 WIB in the right rear passenger deck area whilst loading was underway. Ship crew members who became aware of the incident immediately responded using handheld fire extinguishers (APAR). The response was reinforced by an emergency response team on shore utilising fresh water hydrants, and the fire was successfully extinguished by 20:35 WIB.

All passengers and logistics vehicle cargo were promptly evacuated by officers. Twelve lorries were redirected to an alternative vessel, KMP Jambo, to continue their journey, whilst one lorry that was left behind has been provided with service recovery assistance.

Throughout the incident management process, the flow of logistics vehicles remained smooth. No vehicles were required to wait longer than one hour at the port facility, thus maintaining cargo distribution activity.

Windy Andale, Corporate Secretary of PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero), expressed appreciation for the swift response from ship crew and all operational teams in handling the incident. “We commend the responsiveness of the ship crew and operational teams in the field who handled the emergency situation swiftly and in accordance with safety procedures, resulting in no loss of life. Our primary priority is ensuring the safety of service users whilst maintaining smooth ferry service,” she stated.

Andale added that ASDP is currently coordinating with port authorities to conduct comprehensive further inspections to ensure all safety aspects are met before the vessel returns to operation. “ASDP, together with KSOP, is conducting thorough further inspections to ensure the vessel meets all safety requirements before returning to service. We remain committed to maintaining operational safety standards across all our ferry services,” she said.

ASDP emphasised that the safety, security and comfort of service users is the company’s primary priority in every ferry service it operates.

During the incident management process, ferry service operations on the Ketapang–Gilimanuk route continued to function normally and in a controlled manner. ASDP, working with port authorities, is also accelerating the inspection process for KMP Portlink VII to enable the vessel to return to service promptly once it is declared safe and seaworthy, particularly to support service readiness during the upcoming Lebaran transport period.