Tugboat capsizes off PT ASL Batam, joint SAR team searches for missing ABK

Batam, Indonesia — A joint Search and Rescue (SAR) team is continuing to search for one crew member at the site of a tugboat accident that capsized in the waters around PT ASL Tanjung Uncang shipyard, Batam City, Riau Islands. Fazzli, head of the Class A Tanjungpinang SAR Office, said they received information about the incident on Friday (6 March) at 17:57 WIB from a reporter. ‘We from the Tanjungpinang SAR Office received information about a tugboat accident that capsized in the waters around PT ASL Tanjung Uncang Batam. Our team from Batam immediately headed to the location and arrived around 18:05 WIB to coordinate with the Polairud, KPLP and PT ASL,’ Fazzli said when contacted in Batam on Saturday.

Initial information states the accident occurred at around 14:30 WIB while the tugboat was towing the cargo vessel Kyparissia, which was undergoing docking. There were five crew aboard. Of the five, one survived, three were found dead, and one, Yusuf Tankin, a second engineer, remained missing. The survivor is identified as M. Habib Ansyari, an ABK. The three dead are Abdul Rahman (captain), Guntur Pardede (chief), and Jhonson Bertuahman Damanik (head of engine room). The deceased had already been evacuated and taken to Mutiara Aini Batam Hospital for further treatment.

The missing crew member is Yusuf Tankin, who serves as second engineer. ‘The search is ongoing, and we hope Yusuf Tankin is found soon,’ he said. Batam SAR Post Commander Dedius Sembiring explained that evacuation is hindered by the ship’s sunk condition and a oil spill inside the vessel. ‘Evacuation with the vessel still submerged is quite risky for divers because there is oil inside the ship and access to inner compartments is largely blocked,’ Dedius said. He also noted that interior access is very cramped, making searching difficult for divers. As a handling step, the tugboat will be moved to shore to facilitate evacuation and searching inside the vessel. ‘The boat has been pulled to shore and awaits next steps from the shipyard. We are also awaiting the tide to facilitate handling,’ he said.

In this operation, SAR teams from Tanjungpinang cooperated with various joint SAR elements, including VTS Batam, Kepri Police’s Polairud, and PT ASL Batam. This incident adds to the list of industrial accidents at the shipyard area. Previously, on 24 June 2025, a fire occurred on MT Federal II, killing four workers and injuring five. On 15 October 2025 another incident occurred on the same vessel, killing 14 and injuring 17. Then on 29 December 2025, two workers died from electric shock while painting the ship. A fire also occurred again on 25 January 2026 at the same yard, but no fatalities were reported.