Two killed, one injured in offshore blast
Two killed, one injured in offshore blast
JAKARTA (JP): An explosion on a natural gas processing
platform in the Java Sea killed at least two people and injured
one other, with one fisherman still missing, the city water
police announced yesterday.
According to reports from the city water police the accident
took place at about 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday, when fire balls spread
from gas pipes on the platform Uniform F/S, which is operated by
Atlantic Richfield Indonesia Inc. (ARII), a subsidiary of the
Atlantic Richfield Corporation (Arco) of the U.S.
It is currently thought that the fire balls landed on a small
fishing boat, aboard which there were four fishermen. The
fishermen reportedly jumped into the sea.
The victims all come from the village of Kampung Muara Lama at
Cilamaya in Belanakan, Subang, West Java. They have been
identified as Yakub, 36, Solihin, 35, Atang, 40, and Ujang, 35.
All of the fishermen suffered serious burns.
Yakub died on the way to the hospital, while Solihin -- as of
yesterday -- is still under intensive treatment at the Pertamina
hospital in South Jakarta.
Atang was found dead on the seashore near Cimalaya on
Thursday.
"Personnel of the City Water Police witnessed the finding of
his body," city police spokesman Lt. Col. Bambang Haryoko told
reporters yesterday.
The fourth fisherman is reportedly still missing.
City Police spokesman Lt. Col. Bambang Haryoko told reporters
here yesterday that the ARII had already provided expenses for
the burial of two of the four victims and the medical and other
costs for other victims.
It is presently unclear whether ARII and the water police are
still searching Ujang. None of the ARII executives could be
reached yesterday for comment.
According to eye witnesses, including a member of the city
water police who was on duty on the platform, as well as a number
of security personnel of ARII, fishermen fishing there had
already been asked to leave the dangerous prohibited area several
hours earlier, said Bambang.
ARII has reportedly promised to cover all expenses of and in
relation to the four victims.
ARII supplies natural gas for customers in West Java and
Jakarta, such as for the combined-cycle power plants in Muara
Karang and Tanjung Priok. (bsr)