5 ABK Burned due to Fire on KM Anaya in Maluku Sea

JAKARTA - A total of five crew members (ABK) were burned after the KM Anaya caught fire in the waters of the Maluku Sea, Thursday, March 26.

"The Manado Search and Rescue Office deployed a rescue team in a search and rescue (SAR) operation following the fire incident that occurred on the KM Anaya ship in the waters of the Maluku Sea," said Basarnas Sulut Public Relations Officer, Nuriadin Gumeleng in Manado, quoted by Antara. Thursday.

He said, according to initial information, before the afternoon, the captain of the ship through the reporter Wandi Lumuhu said that a fire had occurred in the ship's engine room which resulted in a number of ABK being burned while trying to put out the fire.

Of the five ABK who were reported to have been burned, one of the victims was in a state of severe burns and needed immediate medical evacuation (medevac).

The ship then moved towards Bitung Port at a speed of around 6-7 knots.

The location of the incident is estimated to be at coordinates 1°54'10.62" N and 126°23'49.98" E, with a distance of about 87 nautical miles northeast of the Manado SAR Office and 78 nautical miles from the Bitung SAR Standby Unit.

Following up on the report, in the afternoon, the Sulut Basarnas Office immediately dispatched a rescue team to the intercept point using a 'Rigid Buoyancy Boat' (RBB).

This SAR operation involves a number of elements, including the Manado SAR Office Rescue Team, the Bitung Polairud Unit for the Bitung SAR Standby Unit, the Likupang SAR Standby Unit, and the Bitung BPBD with a total of dozens of personnel equipped with communication, medical, and other supporting facilities.

"Until now, all the victims, a total of four people, are still in the handling status, while the victim's identity data is still in the data collection process," he said.

Basarnas appeals to all parties concerned to continue to coordinate and the public not to be easily influenced by unverified information.

"Further developments will be communicated periodically," he said.