KSOP Sampit reveals cause of ship fire still under investigation

Sampit (ANTARA) - The Office of Port Authority and Harbour Master’s Office (KSOP) Class III Sampit stated that the cause of the fire on the ship TB Batara VII in a docking area in Tanah Mas Village, Baamang Subdistrict, East Kotawaringin Regency, is still under investigation by the authorities. “We are coordinating with relevant agencies for further handling. In this incident, one person was injured, one person died, and one person is still being searched for. Currently, we continue to coordinate with relevant agencies for ongoing handling in the field,” said the Head of the Navigation Safety, Guarding, and Patrol Section (KBPP) of KSOP Class III Sampit, Capt. Indra Novel, in Sampit on Sunday. The Head of KSOP Class III Sampit, Hotman Siagian, appreciated the quick action, synergy, and solidarity of relevant agencies in handling the ship fire extinguishing on Saturday (28/3). “The main focus during the incident was to extinguish the fire. We all worked together to the maximum in handling that incident,” he explained. “The excellent synergy and collaboration by all agencies demonstrate our commitment and togetherness in providing effort to jointly handle this incident,” Hotman emphasised. Meanwhile, the Head of PT Nusantara Docking Sejahtera, Seftervianus Franklin, expressed deep condolences to the family of the victims over the incident that caused loss of life. The man, familiarly known as Hansen, also expressed his utmost appreciation and gratitude for the support from all parties involved in handling the incident. The fire, accompanied by an explosion sound, panicked nearby residents, who suspected it was caused by a lightning strike as it was drizzling at the time. “Based on statements from local residents, the incident began due to a lightning strike on the barge’s pump engine, which resulted in a single explosion sound, releasing fire and smoke,” added Multazam. One platoon of BPBD personnel along with a joint firefighting team from several agencies attempted to extinguish the fire. The effort was hampered because it was suspected there was fuel oil on the burning ship, making the fire difficult to put out. The fire situation was finally localised around 20:15 WIB. Subsequently, cooling was carried out to ensure the fire was completely extinguished, ending around 20:30 WIB. The injured victim was immediately given aid. Meanwhile, during a search on the burning ship, the team found the body of a person in a pitiful condition. A search was also conducted in the river after the team received information that one other worker’s fate was unknown because they had not been found after the fire and explosion.