Pangkalbalam Harbourmaster to Remove Shipwreck from Baturusa River
Pangkalpinang (ANTARA) — The Class IV Pangkalbalam Harbourmaster and Port Authority Office in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province will cut up and remove the wreck of the KM Lintas Armada Nusantara, which sank in the Baturusa River channel, to ensure navigational safety and protect the river environment.
“We held a meeting today to finalise the plan to cut up and remove the wreck,” said Saiful Anwar, head of the Class IV Pangkalbalam Harbourmaster’s Office, in Pangkalpinang on Monday.
He said the Director General of Sea Transportation, through the acting director of the Ministry of Transportation’s Directorate of Marine and Shipping Safety, had issued a permit to cut up and remove the wreck. The Baturusa River is the inbound and outbound shipping channel for Pangkalbalam Port.
“Today we discussed several matters relating to safety during the refloating or cutting operation, and ensuring that it complies with the applicable regulations,” he said.
Fahruddin, from the office’s Seaworthiness, Guard and Patrol team, said all legal and technical administrative requirements that had previously held up the work had now been completed by the relevant parties.
“We have confirmed that all documents for the underwater work permit, the technical calculations for cutting up the vessel and the environmental mitigation guarantees are ready and under close supervision,” he said.
Given that the 57-metre wreck lies in a relatively narrow, active navigation channel, managing shipping safety will be the main priority throughout the cutting operation.
The Pangkalbalam Harbourmaster’s Office will therefore issue a Notice to Mariners, install special boundary markers and station a pilot boat near the salvage site.
“We will ensure that commercial vessels, passenger boats and fishing boats travelling in and out via the Baturusa River can continue to operate normally and safely. The Sea and Coast Guard will dynamically manage the navigation corridor on site,” he said.