Pulp freighter sinks off Riau

Pulp freighter sinks off Riau

PEKANBARU, Riau: An accident between an incoming barge and a
freighter moored at a Perawang shipping dock, Riau province,
forced dock crew to hustle around the clock to save a Rp 6.3
billion (US$ 663,158) shipment of pulp.

The barge, fully loaded with wood chips from Bengkalis,
slammed into the 700-ton MV Tanto Prima, owned by PT Indah Kiat
Paper and Pulp (IKPP), at 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, ripping a hole
in its hull.

PT IKPP Perawang spokesperson Nurul Huda said on Thursday that
the accident at the company's new dock had workers busy with
pumps late into the day trying to keep water out of the hold so
that as much of the 2,300 tons of pulp as possible could be
salvaged.

"Forklifts are busy loading the pulp onto trucks. Some of the
pulp is scattered on the new dock and some has been swept away in
the Siak River. Cranes are also being used to salvage the pulp
from the vessel because water is gradually filling up the hold of
the vessel," said Nurul.

The MV Tanto Prima, which was struck on the right side of the
bow, was listing badly with its stern in the air and its bow
partially submerged as salvage workers attempted to weld the hole
shut to keep the freighter from sinking completely.

The freighter had been scheduled to leave for Surabaya on
Thursday to deliver the cargo of pulp.

The company has yet to determine the actual losses incurred by
the accident. But with the current price of pulp at around US$300
per ton, the losses could reach up to $690,000 or about Rp 6.3
billion. -- JP