KMP Putri Yasmin Catches Fire While Sailing from Bali to Lombok
The passenger motor vessel (KMP) Putri Yasmin was reported to have caught fire while crossing the waters off Sekotong Beach, West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), in the early hours of Wednesday (12/8) WITA.
The ship caught fire while sailing from Padangbai Port in Karangasem, Bali, to Lembar Port in West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).
Head of the Mataram SAR Office, Muhammad Hariyadi, stressed that the team’s top priority at this time is the safety of all passengers and crew.
“The incident was reported to have occurred at 04.15 WITA while the ship was en route from Padang Bai Port to Lembar Port. The Mataram SAR Office received the emergency report at 04.39 WITA and immediately deployed personnel to carry out the evacuation process,” he said in a statement received by CNNIndonesia on Wednesday morning.
He said that given the emergency situation, the Mataram SAR Office also coordinated with the Denpasar SAR Office. According to him, the Denpasar SAR Office also deployed the KN SAR Arjuna to assist with the evacuation process and dispatched a helicopter from SGi Air Bali for wider aerial monitoring.
“We have deployed KN 220 Mataram, a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB), and a Rigid Buoyancy Boat (RBB) to the scene to carry out the evacuation and to coordinate with vessels in the vicinity of the incident,” said Hariyadi.
He stressed that the SAR operation involved synergy from various elements, including the Mataram SAR Office, Denpasar SAR Office, KMP PortLink II, KAL Lembar, the Indonesian Navy, West Lombok Police, West Lombok Water and Air Police, the Lembar Port Harbourmaster, a yacht, SGi Air Bali, local residents, and other relevant parties.
“As of now, the joint SAR team is still at the scene carrying out the evacuation process,” Hariyadi continued.
A 50-second video had earlier gone viral showing plumes of smoke that caused panic among passengers. All passengers could be seen already wearing life jackets.
“It’s destroyed. Allahu Akbar,” said a man in the video while wearing a life jacket on the KMP Putri Yasmin.
As of the time this report was filed, the deployed SAR team was carrying out response measures at the scene.
The cause of the fire and the number of passengers and crew aboard the KMP Putri Yasmin were still being recorded.