Tanker fire claims 12

Tanker fire claims 12

PEKANBARU, Riau: Rescue workers found on Monday the charred
bodies of nine crew members of the Stephanie XVIII oil tanker
which caught fire on the Siak River around Perawang, some 80 km
off of here, Antara said.

The nine added to the three other victims who were found on
Sunday evening.

Eyewitnesses said the tanker -- carrying premium oil from
Tanjung Uban in the Riau islands -- exploded and caught fire
after colliding with a tugboat.

Officials estimated that some 1,200 metric tons of premium oil
polluted the Siak River.

The mishap happened when the oil tanker passed in front of the
PT SDI pier, where the ship scraped against the Komodo tugboat.
After the scrape, the oil tanker also collided into a barge
parked in a berth at the pier, ripping the tanker's bow.

The rip allowed oil from the tanker's container to spill onto
the river and catch fire.

Fire spreading across the water's surface also caught the KM
Sri Intan IX ship, which had just docked with a load of
fertilizer.

Those who escaped uninjured were Hamzah, skipper I,
Zulkarnain, the radio operator, Gigi Sembodo and Andrias the
helmsmen, Herman, the waiter, Hidayat, the apprentice, and Sugito
the captain.