KM Prince Soya Catches Fire in Samarinda, Port Authority Ensures Passenger Safety
The Samarinda Class I Port Authority and Port Authority (KSOP) has ensured that the flow of maritime passenger transport remains smooth following the fire incident involving the Motor Vessel (KM) Prince Soya. The port authority has prepared mitigation steps to ensure that thousands of prospective passengers are not impacted by the disaster.
Yuliansyah, Head of the Sailing Safety Section at KSOP Class I Samarinda, stated that the authority immediately took tactical steps to guarantee sailing schedules. “We have immediately taken comprehensive mitigation steps so that the sailing schedules of thousands of passengers are not abandoned due to this incident,” he said in Samarinda on Saturday (1/8).
The KM Prince Soya, which has a capacity of 1,800 people, was scheduled to depart from Samarinda Port on Sunday at 14:00 WITA. To anticipate cancellations, KSOP has prepared a diversion scheme to replacement vessels that have been declared seaworthy.
Yuliansyah emphasised that all passenger rights, particularly for those who have purchased tickets online, will be fully met through the standby fleet.
The fire was first detected by port security officers at 11:02 WITA. Thick black smoke was seen originating from the ship’s deck. In response to the emergency, a joint team of firefighters and Pelindo personnel immediately deployed fleets to carry out integrated firefighting operations.
Water spraying efforts were focused on the right-hand deck area of the ship. KSOP also deployed one fire engine unit to accelerate the process of controlling the fire at the pier area. Based on initial identification, the fire was suspected to have been triggered by an issue with an oil tank.
Currently, expert teams and police authorities are conducting a deep investigation to confirm the exact cause of the fire. KSOP has confirmed that there were no casualties in this incident as the ship was berthed and had no passengers on board. Following the incident, supervision of maritime safety standards will be further tightened to guarantee the security of maritime transport users.