Indonesian authorities are investigating the cause of two explosions and a fire aboard an interisland tanker in which five crew were killed, and fifteen others injured while the vessel was sailing off Tepekong Island near the eastern tip of Bali.
The tanker, Elisabet Satu (3 639 dwt), had 21 crew on board when she caught fire while travelling to West Nusa Tenggara province on the Java Sea, police told ABC News.
The Karangasem Police said they had received reports of the fire aboard the tanker at around 3 am local time on August 7. A rescue team was immediately deployed to evacuate the crew and assist the tanker to douse the fire.
According to a crew member, when the tanker was approaching Gili Tepekong, there had been an explosion near the crew’s living area.
Karangasem police chief, Nengah Sadiarta, said the chief officer had found the helmsman lying on the deck with burns on his body. He said the tanker had stopped moving, and then a second explosion had occurred.
“After checking, it was found that there was a fire in the engine room. The crew gathered at the muster station, but there were five people who did not join and were found dead,” Sadiarta said.
According to police, five crew members died of their burn injuries. Three others were transported to hospital with burns over 80% of their bodies, and the remaining crew members, who had sustained lesser burns, were taken to another hospital.
The police investigation into the cause of the explosions is continuing.
The Indonesian-flagged vessel was built in 2016 and is operated by a local company.
