Bali Police Labfor Investigate Cause Of Fire Of Elisabeth 1 Tanker Ship

DENPASAR - Bali Regional Police Forensic Laboratory Officers are still investigating the cause of the Elisabeth 1 Tanker burning in the waters of Gili Tepekong Island, Karangasem Regency, Bali.

Head of the Bali Police Labfor Division, Kombes I Nyoman Sukena, said that until now, samples were taken to find the cause of the fire on the Elisabeth 1 Tanker had not been completed due to the unstable condition of the ship.

"The Bali Police Laboratory has examined the TKP, only the ship's obstacles are tilted, there is still a lot of carbon vapor from the fire, so it is still waiting for developments," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, August 12.

Sukena said that her party had taken samples from the Elisabeth 1 Tanker twice. However, not all materials have been taken due to the unstable condition of the ship which has an impact on the safety of the officers.

"If the weather starts to improve and the ship's condition stabilizes, the Forensic Laboratory will conduct another investigation, because carbon dioxide also endangers the security of Forensic Laboratory officers," he said.

Dirpolairud Polda Bali and Pertamina have also gone directly to check the condition of the ship.

Previously, the Head of the Public Relations Section of the Karangasem Police, Iptu I Gede Sukadana, explained that the fire incident occurred on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, at around 03.00 WITA in Gili Topekong, Karangasem.

Initially at around 01:18 WITA, the Elisabeth 1 ship sailed to carry fuel to the Sumbawa Badas, NTB. After approximately 1 hour of travel or exactly 1 mile from Tepekong Island, Karangasem, the ship reportedly caught fire.

As a result, as many as five of the 21 crew members of the Tanker Elisabeth ship died.

Meanwhile, Operational Manager of PT. Arta Samudera Line Budi Kurniawan stated that the tanker Elisabeth 1 which caught fire in the waters of Gili Tepekong Island, Karangasem, Bali (3/8) had been evacuated near the Manggis Fuel Terminal, Karangasem, Bali.

The ship MT. Elisabeth Satu belongs to PT. Arta Samudera Line to transport fuel oil (BBM) products that caught fire. In the ship there were 21 crew members on board where 16 crew members survived with some minor injuries and five people died.

It is certain that until now, there has been no pollution or leakage in the water area. Likewise, all fuel cargo is still on the ship and the transfer process will be carried out so that the fuel distribution continues to run smoothly.

"The company will take full responsibility for the impact of this incident. We also convey our deepest condolences to the victims and the families of the victims who were affected by the incident on the MT Elisabeth Satu ship," said Budi Kurniawan.

According to Budi's statement, the company is fully committed to collaborating with related parties in the process of handling this incident, as well as being cooperative during the investigation process.