There was a tour boat accident in Labuan Bajo. The Phinisi Sea Safari VII ship caught fire due to an alleged electrical short circuit. Fortunately, 33 foreign and local tourists who were on board survived.
Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno highlighted the burning of a tourist ship in Labuan Bajo. Sandiaga emphasized the importance of compliance with CHSE (Clean, Health, Safety, and Environment) rules, so that similar incidents do not happen again.
“We will also work with the Ministry of Transportation and the maritime authority (to prevent such incidents from recurring),” he said to Antara.
To prevent tourist ship accidents, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy will enforce regulations and standardize the safety of tourist ships by coordinating with the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation and maritime authorities.
The phinisi ship caught fire in the waters of Penga Island in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Thursday, May 2, 2024.
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As reported by Kompas.com, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Maumere reported no casualties.
Head of Operations and Standby of Basarnas Maumere Karel Roni Ileng said the burning ship carried 33 passengers, 17 of whom were foreign tourists, nine tourists, and seven crew members.
There were no casualties in this incident. However, two people were reportedly burned, and two others suffocated because of the smoke.
Chronology of the tour boat accident
In the chronology, the pinisi ship sailed to the Komodo National Park area on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. On the second day of the tour, the passengers dived into the waters of Penga Island.
The fire broke out shortly after the passengers finished diving. Then, the joint SAR team that received the information immediately evacuated the victims and crew members.
It was stated that there were 26 tourists and seven crew members aboard the tour boat. Until now, investigations have been carried out on the cause of the tour boat fire.
One victim in the fire, Risal as the driver, suffered burns and has been undergoing treatment at a hospital in Labuan Bajo.
