Pertamina Puts Out Tanker Ship Fires In Mataram Integratedly

Smoke rising from the MT Christin ship carrying Pertamina fuel that caught fire in the waters of the western sea of Lombok Island, NTB, Sunday (26/3/2023). (Between/HO-Ist)

PT Pertamina Patra Niaga Regional Jatimbalinus coordinated with various related parties to carry out efforts to extinguish the fire of the MT Christin ship in an integrated manner in the waters of the northwest of Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara, Sunday.

"Currently, we are making our best efforts to coordinate, including with Pelindo and Syahbandar and all related parties to be able to extinguish the fire related to the ship," said Acting Area Manager Communication, Relation & CSR of Pertamina Patra Niaga Regional Jatimbalinus, Taufik Kurniawan, in an official statement received by Antara in Mataram, Sunday.

He said the ship fire broke out at around 14:50 WITA. The MT Christin ship was chartered by Pertamina International Shipping carrying a cargo of 5,900 kilo liters of Pertalite type fuel.

The ship was originally scheduled to issue a cargo (loading) at the Ampenan Fuel Terminal of 2,700 kilo liters pertalite.

"After completing loading at the Ampenan Fuel Terminal, the ship will continue its journey to load back at the Bali Budget BBM Terminal of 2,300 kilo liters," he said.

He said the burning ship carried 17 crew members. Of these, as many as 14 people have been successfully evacuated to TBBM Ampenan, while three others have not been found and are still being searched.

The three crew members who are still being searched are Diki Abdul Aziz (mualim 3), Sukirman (boson), and Dani Maulana (cadet deck).

Taufik also emphasized that his party did not know for sure the cause of the burning of the MT Christin ship.

"The cause of the fire is still in the process of being investigated with PIC, namely PT Pertamina Internasional Shipping," he said.