Jambi SAR evacuates three workers after gas poisoning on a barge

Jambi (ANTARA) - The Jambi Search and Rescue Team evacuated three workers who died as a result of gas poisoning in the hold of the barge KM TS Daya Niaso, which was undergoing repairs on the banks of the Batanghari River in Jambi. “The Jambi Office of Search and Rescue (Basarnas Jambi) launched a rescue operation for three workers suspected of gas poisoning inside the hold of the barge KM TS Daya Niaso,” Basarnas Jambi spokesman M Luthfi said in Jambi on Wednesday. The incident occurred along the Batanghari River, in the Niaso area, Muaro Jambi Regency. The three victims being evacuated were named Zulkarnain, Popo, and Rudiansyah. All were already deceased. “They are believed to have been exposed to dangerous gas while carrying out repairs inside the vessel’s hold,” he said. The chronology of events, based on the first report received by standby officers at 09:15 Western Indonesian Time (WIB) from Sani, the barge owner. Shortly afterwards, they suddenly grew faint and did not respond from within the hull. Upon seeing this, the vessel owner immediately called for emergency assistance. In response to the report, the Jambi SAR dispatched a single search and rescue unit with eight personnel at 09:35 WIB. The team travelled by land and water, covering 13.5 km from the Jambi SAR Office, with an estimated arrival at the coordinates 1°34’47.99”S-103°37’55.90”E around 10:20 WIB. The operation took place in overcast weather. The joint SAR team, comprising personnel from the Jambi SAR Office and local residents, used confined space rescue equipment to evacuate in the confined space and to anticipate toxic gas. The equipment deployed included a rescue car, a rigid buoyancy boat to enable equipment mobility for confined-space operations, followed by medical and evacuation gear, communication equipment, and a thermal drone to monitor visual conditions and temperature in the hold area. As of this report, the joint team was still attempting to recover the three victims from the barge’s hold, and their bodies had already been evacuated.