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)