Three killed after boat explosion in Makassar

Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi

Three fishermen were killed and another severely injured after explosives they were carrying exploded on Sunday in waters off Lumu-Lumu island, some four hours by sea to the southwest of Makassar, capital of South Sulawesi.

The three were Ilyas, 40, Sampara, 18, and Munir, 25.

The injured person is Hamzah, 17, who is now being treated at Labuang Baji hospital, Makassar.

The fatal incident occurred at 2 p.m on Sunday when the four set sail to catch fish. They lived on Lumu-Lumu, an island that is part of Ujungtana district, Makassar municipality.

Hamzah, the survivor, recounted later on Monday that, while the four were at sea, they saw a shoal of fish, which prompted them to prepare and detonate explosives to kill the fish.

He said that Ilyas had already ignited the fuse to the explosives, but he extinguished it, because the shoal quickly broke up.

"The fuse was then set aside, and the explosives put back on the boat. However, a few seconds later, I heard a loud explosion and fell unconscious," said Hamzah, when interviewed on Monday at the hospital.

Several other fishermen sailing in the area lent a helping hand immediately, but it was too late. Ilyas and Sampara were already dead on the boat, which was totally destroyed. Munir was missing, probably because he was thrown from the boat and swept away by waves.

Hamzah was lucky as he was later saved and evacuated by other fishermen.

Ujungtana Police chief Adj. Comr. Abire confirmed the details of the incident. He said that the explosives might have detonated because the fuse had not been properly removed.

"Maybe the fuse was not completely removed so the explosives ignited a few seconds after they had been stored," he said.

He said that Hamzah would be questioned as soon as he recovered from his injures, as part of the investigation into the incident. Hamzah suffered burns and bruising to his face, right hand and other parts of his body.

Meanwhile, Abire acknowledged that it was common practice for fishermen in Makassar to use explosives when fishing.

He said that police had called on fishermen not to use explosives to catch fish, because they could both damage the marine ecosystem and endanger the lives of the fishermen.

"However, the plea is usually ignored. We have also mounted raids on fishermen but they are obstinate and still use explosives," he said.