Mutiara Berkah I Ship Caught Fire In Cilegon, Evacuation Of 159 Passengers Using Cranes

The Passenger Motorboat (KMP) Mutiara Berkah I which caught fire at the port of Indah Kiat, Merak, Cilegon City, Banten Province, Wednesday (6/9/2023) (PHOTO ANTARA/HO-Basarnas Banten)

The joint SAR team carried out the evacuation process for passengers of the Mutiara Berkah I Passenger Motor Ship (KMP) which caught fire at the pier of Indah Kiat Port, Merak, Cilegon City, Banten Province, Wednesday, September 6. Evacuation using cranes. Head of Banten Basarnas Adil Triyanto revealed a total of 159 passengers and crew members. KMP Mutiara Berkah I also contains 135 cargo trucks.

"For the process of evacuating passengers because the position of the ship was high until passengers got off using cranes and all passengers were rescued," he said in Cilegon, Banten, September 6, which was confiscated by Antara. He also said that five of the passengers experienced shortness of breath and were rushed to the nearest hospital (RS) for treatment. and the condition is now gradually improving. For the process of extinguishing the fire, he said, it was carried out from two directions, namely through the sea side and from the mainland by deploying as many as eight fire engines. "Currently, there are still blackouts in the hull of the right ship from the bow to the stern. And from the joint SAR team we deployed eight fire engines and four tugboats from the sea side, so we extinguished them from the sea and land sides," he said.

Ia mengaku pihaknya kesulitan saat proses evakuasi karena kurangnya pasokan air sehingga semua dikerahkan mulai dari perusahaan untuk dapat mengirimkan seluruh unit mobil pemadam kebakarannya."Pemadaman hampir lima jam belum padam memang kesulitannya karena posisinya susah nyari air, maka semuanya kami kerahkan dari tiap perusahaan juga mengerahkan seluruh unit mobil pemadam kebakarannya bahkan tangki air untuk mensuplai ke unit teruk pemadam kebakaran," kata Adil Triyanto .Sebelumnya, kapal yang diketahui tengah proses sandar di pelabuhan milik PT Indah Kiat itu pertama kali dilaporkan terbakar sekitar pukul 10.50 WIB.Kasi Ops Kantor SAR Banten Heru Amir mengatakan proses pemadaman dan evakuasi masih berlangsung."Masih proses pemadaman dan evakuasi, penumpang oleh tim gabungan," katanya saat dimintai konfirmasi, Rabu 6 September.Hingga berita ini diturunkan belum diketahui pasti apa penyebab dari kebakaran KMP Mutiara Berkah I.