KM Sabuk Nusantara 88 Runs Aground After Colliding with a Coal Barge in the Mahakam Estuary, Passengers Evacuated

Passengers of KM Sabuk Nusantara 88 have been evacuated after the incident ran aground and collided with the coal barge - ANTARA/HO-Doc KSOP Samarinda.

SAMARINDA - The Samarinda Class I Harbormaster and Port Authority (KSOP) deployed a team to evacuate all passengers of the KM Sabuk Nusantara 88 after the ship ran aground and collided with a coal barge in the Mahakam River estuary.

The Head of the Samarinda Class I KSOP, Mursidi, stated that passenger safety is the top priority.

"Currently, the passenger evacuation process is our top priority," Mursidi said in Samarinda, Antara reported, Friday, August 8.

The evacuation was carried out by a joint team consisting of the Samarinda KSOP Patrol Boat, the State Vessel (KN) Sarotama P.112 belonging to the Samarinda Class I Navigation District, and elements from Pelindo. All passengers were evacuated to the Samarinda Port Pier.

The incident occurred on Wednesday at around 9:00 p.m. WITA. Based on initial reports, the KM Sabuk Nusantara 88 experienced sudden engine failure while between buoys 3 and 5. Furthermore, the ship's steering system was reportedly malfunctioning.

"The notification we received stated that the ship's engine had stalled and its steering system was malfunctioning. As a result, the ship could not be controlled and collided with the coal barge TB SCP 01, which was passing by," explained Mursidi.

The collision caused the coal barge's towing rope to become entangled in the propeller of the KM Sabuk Nusantara 88. The impact also dented the bow of the passenger ship.

Following the incident, the ship pulled ashore and anchored near buoy 5 while awaiting evacuation. There were no casualties in this incident, but the evacuation was still carried out as part of maritime safety procedures.

Mursidi added that a thorough investigation would be conducted after the evacuation and towing of the ship were completed.

"We will conduct a thorough investigation after the passenger evacuation and towing of the ship are complete. This is important to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future," he said.