Tanker Blast Kills Four at Belawan Port
An explosion occurred on a tanker belonging to state-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina on Monday evening while the ship was under repair at Belawan Port in North Sumatra, killing four workers.
Three victims died on the spot, while the fourth worker died in a hospital succumbing to fatal injuries.
Indonesia-flagged Palu Sipat, owned by the national oil company PT Pertamina, was docked at the port for repairs when it caught fire and exploded at 17:00 h local time.
Belawan Port Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Aswin Sipayung said the tanker explosion took place as it was docked for repairs at Belawan Port on Monday afternoon.
The cause of the explosion remains unknown, as investigators were not allowed to enter the explosion site due to safety concerns.
"The ship is still full of gas. We haven't been able to determine the cause of the explosion," Aswin said.
The 17,957 dwt tanker has many compartments, making it difficult for investigators to obtain safety clearance from the local authority to track down the cause of the explosion.
PT Pertamina Regional I spokesman Brasto Galih Nugroho confirmed the tanker was owned by Pertamina. “Yes, the tanker is owned by Pertamina. It exploded when it was being repaired by a partner company,” said Brasto.
