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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Disasters & Emergencies

Indonesia: Ferry fire kills one, prompts calls for nationwide safety checks

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • A passenger ferry, KMP Putri Yasmin, caught fire in the Lombok Strait, Indonesia, resulting in one death and the evacuation of 173 passengers.
  • A parliamentary official urged a nationwide inspection of all passenger vessels following the incident.
  • The fire is the latest in a series of maritime accidents in Indonesia, prompting calls for stricter safety measures and digital ticketing systems.

Indonesia is facing renewed scrutiny of its maritime safety after the KMP Putri Yasmin passenger ferry caught fire in the Lombok Strait, killing one person and forcing the evacuation of 173 passengers. The ferry was traveling from Padangbai, Bali, to Lembar, Lombok, when the blaze erupted on Wednesday.

The recurrence of fires and accidents involving passenger ships is a danger signal that must not be ignored. We urge the Ministry of Transportation to immediately conduct simultaneous and massive ramp checks on all passenger vessels, especially on busy ferry routes.

— Syaiful HudaThe Deputy Chairman of Commission V of the House of Representatives expressed concern over the repeated maritime incidents and called for immediate safety inspections.

Syaiful Huda, Deputy Chairman of Commission V of the House of Representatives, strongly criticized the recurring incidents, calling for a comprehensive evaluation of fleet seaworthiness and the shipping system. He urged the Ministry of Transportation to immediately conduct simultaneous and massive ramp checks on all passenger vessels, particularly those on busy ferry routes.

This incident follows a string of recent maritime tragedies, including the sinking of the KLM Nurul Salsa in the Selayar Islands, which resulted in four deaths and 14 missing, and the fire on the KMP Mutiara Sentosa II north of Sumenep, which claimed five lives and left 41 missing. Huda emphasized that these repeated accidents necessitate a thorough review of safety protocols.

If safety equipment is found non-functional or the ship's technical condition is risky, the Ministry of Transportation must have the courage to suspend the Sailing Permit (SPB) and prohibit the ship from operating until all requirements are met.

— Syaiful HudaHuda outlined the necessary actions to be taken against non-compliant operators.

Huda stressed that the ramp checks must include physical inspections, verifying the readiness of fire-fighting equipment, early detection systems, the availability and functionality of life rafts, engine reliability, and navigation completeness. He also called for strict enforcement, urging the Ministry of Transportation to suspend sailing permits for vessels found to be non-compliant. Furthermore, he advocated for accelerating the integration of an e-ticketing system based on official identification to ensure accurate passenger manifests and prevent overloading, a common factor in past accidents.

Passenger manifest data often does not match the actual situation, leading to ships being overloaded and causing accidents. It is time for ticket digitalization based on official identity.

— Syaiful HudaHuda highlighted the issue of inaccurate passenger manifests and advocated for a digital ticketing system.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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