Fire and explosion on oil tanker at Indonesian shipyard kills 10 and injures 21

BATAM, Indonesia (AP) — A fire and explosion on a crude palm oil tanker at a shipyard on Indonesia’s Batam Island on Wednesday killed at least 10 people and injured 21, police said.

The fire broke out in the ship’s gas tank while repair workers were still on board the tanker, which had been undergoing repairs at the shipyard in the Tanjunguncang seaport, Riau Islands Provincial Police Chief Asep Safrudin said.

“It (the fire) was followed by a powerful blast that prompted other workers to flee in panic,” he said.

The explosion killed at least 10 people, 21 others were rushed to nearby hospitals with burn injuries, four of them in critical condition, Safrudin said.

Grief-stricken relatives gathered at the hospitals for information about their loved ones.

A similar accident on the vessel, built in 2009, killed four people and injured five others in June. The fire was caused by sparks from welding activity and most victims died from smoke inhalation, authorities said.

“We are still investigating the cause of the fire and explosion and why the same incident in the same tanker could happen again, even with more victims than before,” Safrudin said.

Authorities are investigating whether shipyard operator PT ALS may have been negligent, he said.