Eight Crew Members Rescued After Ship Sinks in Malacca Strait

The Batam Special Port Authority (KSOP) in the Riau Islands has reported that all eight crew members of the KM Batam Indah 9 were successfully rescued after the ship sank in the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) area of the Malacca-Singapore Strait. Head of KSOP Khusus Batam, Takwim M Masuku, stated that based on preliminary information, there were no casualties in the incident. “Based on initial information, all eight crew members were successfully rescued and there were no fatalities. The exact cause of the incident is still under investigation by the relevant authorities,” he said in a statement received in Batam on Tuesday. He explained that KM Batam Indah 9 departed from Sekupang Port, Batam, bound for Singapore at 06:25 Western Indonesian Time. At 06:35, the vessel was reported to have sunk in the waters of the Malacca and Singapore Strait TSS. All eight crew members managed to save themselves before being evacuated by the MV JAL KALP, which was passing near the scene. They were subsequently taken to the Naval Region IV Command (Kodaeral) pier in Batam for health checks and to provide initial statements regarding the chronology of the incident. In response to the incident, KSOP Khusus Batam immediately deployed the state vessel KN P-376 to the location to support search and evacuation operations. Additionally, KSOP coordinated with KAL Mapor Kodaeral Batam, LCT Ayu 68, as well as local fishermen and the community around the incident site. “KSOP Batam has confirmed that all crew members were evacuated safely and are receiving the necessary care,” he said. To maintain navigational safety, KSOP, together with Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) Batam, is monitoring ship traffic around the location where KM Batam Indah 9 sank. Navigation warnings are also being broadcast periodically via VHF channel 16 to passing vessels. Currently, KSOP is continuing to monitor the sinking site to anticipate potential disruptions to shipping safety and any environmental impact that may arise from the sunken vessel and its cargo. “The current priority is to ensure the safety of all evacuated crew members and to coordinate with relevant agencies for post-incident handling and securing the sinking location,” said Takwim.