May 16, 2023
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The 1984-built bulk carrier, ABUSAMAH flying the Indonesian flag, caught fire suddenly for unknown reasons. Fire erupted in the engine room while it was docked at the Cilegon Port in Western Java, Sunda Strait at 0500 local time. Soon, the entire engine room was in flames. During this time, the loading operation was going on.
The ship was being loaded with fertilisers and ammonium phosphate, and around 1500 tonnes were already onboard. Although several attempts were made to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the vessel, they proved useless. As a last resort, the bulker was taken to anchorage to avoid fire from spreading to nearby ships.
Video Credits: Yudi Dzaenal Arifin / YouTube
The bulker was brought to the anchorage area using four tugboats and firefighting ships. There is a chance that the fire might spread to the cargo, which could release toxic gases when burned, and requires particular kinds of fire extinguishing equipment. There were 27 crew members on the vessel who made it out safely. No injuries were reported.
Reference: Maritime Bulletin
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