Gunsa 8 Ferry Ship Burns In Breech Waters

PHOTO VIA BETWEEN

PALEMBANG - The Ferry Gunsa 8, which contains 86 passengers, caught fire on the outskirts of the waters of Sungsang, Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra.

The Office of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) of South Sumatra Province sent a rescue team. The team was assisted by personnel from the Tanjung Api-Api Water and Air Police of Palembang and Mentok Bangka Belitung Regency as well as the Port Authority and Port Authority Office of Palembang.

South Sumatra Basarnas Public Relations Officer Rio Taufan Febriano said the joint SAR team was currently still extinguishing the flames that burned the Guncline roro passanger ship.

"A total of 86 passengers survived and were successfully evacuated at the Tanjung Kalian KKP Command Post," he said, quoted by Antara, Monday, July 12.

The Gunsa 8 Ferry ship departed from Tanjung Kalian Port, Bangka Belitung at 15.42 WIB with the destination route from Tanjung Api-Api Port, Palembang, South Sumatra.

The Commander of the Water and Air Police Unit of the West Bangka Police, Adjunct Commissioner of Police Candra Wijaya in Bangka, Monday, said that the Gunsa 8 Ferry Ship caught fire as it approached the waters of Palembang, South Sumatra.

So far it has not been ascertained what caused the passenger ship to catch fire.

"It is not yet clear what caused it and how much damage this incident caused," he said.