ASDP: Ship Fire at Ketapang Port Does Not Impact Exodus Travel

PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) has stated that a fire incident involving one of its vessels at Ketapang Port, Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, has not impacted the flow of holiday travellers from Bali.

“We are ensuring that ferry operations at Ketapang Port, which connects to Gilimanuk Port in Bali, continue to run normally,” said Corporate Secretary of PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) Windy Andale in a press statement on Thursday.

He said the fire that broke out in one compartment of the KMP Portlink VII on Wednesday night (11 March) resulted in no fatalities.

He noted that the vessel in question is currently undergoing further inspection to ensure its readiness before resuming operations.

According to him, the fire occurred in the right-side passenger deck area at the rear of the vessel during a loading process. “Crew members who became aware of the incident immediately took initial action using portable fire extinguishers (APAR). The response was then reinforced by an onshore emergency response team using fresh water hydrants until the fire was extinguished at 20:35 local time,” he explained.

During the handling of the burning vessel, vehicle traffic continued to flow smoothly with no vehicles waiting more than one hour in the Ketapang Port area.

“We remain committed to maintaining operational safety standards across all our ferry services,” he said.

On Thursday afternoon at Gilimanuk Port in Bali, holiday travellers began arriving in larger numbers, with two-wheeled vehicles moving relatively smoothly. Private cars and trucks were congested from the parking area through to the entrance of Gilimanuk Port. Reports indicated that fairly long queues developed in the early morning hours, particularly affecting cars and trucks.