Mahakam Bridge I Hit by Ship Again, East Kalimantan Parliament Demands River Passage Monitoring Evaluation
East Kalimantan Regional Parliament deputy chairman Ananda Emira Moeis expressed regret over another ship collision with Mahakam Bridge I. He stated that such incidents endanger the safety of bridge users and ship crews, and damage the reputation of East Kalimantan Province.
“I regret the ship collision with Mahakam Bridge. Not only is it dangerous to the safety of bridge and ship users, but it is also detrimental to the image of East Kalimantan Province,” said the PDI Perjuangan politician, known as Nanda, in a statement on Tuesday, 10 March 2026.
The politician urged all parties, particularly the relevant authorities, to take immediate preventive measures to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
“I hope this does not happen again in the future. Therefore, I urge all parties, especially the relevant authorities, to take action and develop the best mitigation strategies,” he said.
The collision occurred at Mahakam Bridge I on Sunday evening, 8 March 2026. A Self-Propelled Oil Barge (SPOB) struck one of the pillars of the oldest bridge in East Kalimantan’s capital before leaving the scene.
The incident was recorded in amateur video footage taken by residents from an upper floor of HARRIS Hotel Samarinda. The footage shows a fuel tanker ship striking the bridge structure before continuing to sail away from the area.
This incident adds to a long list of ship collisions with Mahakam Bridge I. Based on data collected, between April 2025 and early March 2026, the bridge has been struck 23 times, predominantly by cargo barges carrying coal and timber.
In April 2025, a collision caused significant damage to the bridge’s fourth pillar. With the latest incident on 8 March 2026 involving the SPOB vessel, the total number of recorded collision incidents has now reached 24.
As of Sunday evening, relevant authorities such as the water police and the Samarinda Port Authority had not issued an official statement regarding the extent of pillar damage or the identity of the vessel involved.
On another note, field reports indicate that the SPOB vessel was no longer found near the collision site shortly after the incident. This raises questions about the vessel owner’s responsibility for the incident.