Tanjung Intan port returns to normal

CILACAP, Central Java: Activities at the state-owned Pelabuhan Indonesia III in Tanjung Intan port has returned to normal following an accident last June when a Singapore-based oil tanker MT King Fisher hit a coral reef, spilling its cargo into the surrounding waters, an official said on Friday.

The company's head of the legal information division Susiana said the incident had significantly affected activities in the port and reduced the number of visiting foreign and local ships.

The company's data shows that only 750 ships visited the port in the past eight months, compared to 1,198 ships during the same period last year.

Susiana said the company had suffered significant financial losses due to the reduced number of ships docking at its port.

The MT King Fisher, carrying 600,000 barrels of crude oil, struck the coral reef shortly after it entered the port, polluting the surrounding waters.

The ship owner had covered the financial losses claimed by various parties, including the Rp 18 billion by 20,000 local fishermen and another Rp 2 billion out of a total of Rp 16 billion that was claimed by state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina. (45/lup)