Police investigate deadly fire in tanker ship off East Flores

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post/Kupang

Police in Larantuka, East Nusa Tenggara, said on Monday they were intensively investigating the cause of a fire and explosion in a tanker ship that left at least two crew members killed.

Another member was still missing and seven others were injured in the accident on Friday night in Larantuka, East Flores.

"An investigation team is looking into the cause and source of the fire," East Nusa Tenggara Police spokesman First Insp. Chusnul Waton said in the provincial capital, Kupang.

According to surviving crew members, the fire started after an explosion occurred in the ship's engine room.

The tanker, MT Putri I carrying 550 kiloliters of premium gasoline, caught fire off Larantuka at around 9:20 p.m. on Friday following the engine room explosion.

It was sailing to a fuel depot of state oil company Pertamina in Larantuka before heading to neighboring Ende and Waingapu.

The ship fire was blamed by local officials on shortages of premium gasoline in East Flores due to supply cuts.

Larantuka Pertamina depot head Sukandar said he had asked the company in Kupang to quickly send another tanker to supply gasoline to the town.

"In order that residents do not panic, we have sent a request for premium gasoline in East Flores," he added.

Chusnul said the police were carrying out patrols to prevent speculators from profiting from the accident by raising gasoline prices.

A rescue team of police and related officials is searching for the missing person, identified as Madjeni, who was the chief engineer.

Meanwhile, the two deceased crew members, Muliady, 28, from Central Java and Parmo, 30, from Tangerang, Banten, had not yet been buried on Monday, pending the arrival of their respective families to approve autopsies on the two.