Ship Explosion in Central Sulawesi Bay Leaves 3 Crew Members Injured

Three crew members were rushed to hospital after sustaining burns when the motor vessel Tokitoki 01 exploded in Teluk Lalong, Luwuk District, Banggai Regency, Central Sulawesi.

The three victims were immediately taken to Kampung Baru Community Health Post (Puskesmas Kampung Baru) for initial treatment, said AKP Saiman, the Head of Public Relations at Banggai Police, to reporters on Wednesday (20 May).

The explosion occurred on Wednesday (20 May) at around 07:30 WITA; the fire is suspected to have originated from an explosion at the bow of the vessel as it prepared to sail toward Pagimana, starting when the three crew members were cleaning the hull.

Then, suddenly an explosion occurred at the bow of the ship, creating a shower of sparks. The three crew members panicked and jumped into the sea, he said.

Fire and rescue teams from the fire department (damkar), Basarnas, and the Sulteng Police’s Water Police (Polairud) together with Banggai Police tried to extinguish the fire and evacuate the crew.

The blaze was brought under control after three units of vessels were deployed, taking around half an hour, he said.

The three victims were identified as Basrudin (63), Afdan (20) and Fais (18). They sustained burn injuries, but there were no fatalities.

The burns were quite serious; all three are likely to be referred to RSUD Luwuk, he said.

Nevertheless, Saiman said he could not yet explain the cause of the explosion.

The cause of the ship’s explosion is still being investigated, he concluded.