RoRo Ferry Catches Fire While Anchored Off Indonesia’s Riau Islands

A ro/ro ferry named KMP Tandemand caught fire in the waters off Batam Island, Riau Islands, Indonesia, on October 2, 2024. The fire broke out around 2:00 PM local time while the vessel was anchored and not operating.

All 14 crew members on board were successfully evacuated, and no injuries were reported.

Per the local outlet Kompas, two nearby vessels helped extinguish the fire. One vessel, KN Rantos, stayed on the scene until around 6:40 PM to assist in cooling efforts.

The ferry company’s manager, Hermin Welkis, stated that the vessel was not operational at the time of the fire and that there were no casualties.

When the fire started, the ferry was anchored in the waters at Telaga Punggur Batam. Welkis stated that a team actively worked to extinguish the fire and assess the situation.

Fauzan, the head of Traffic for the Riau Islands Land Transportation Management Center, said the fire may have started due to an electrical short circuit. He stated that the incident occurred at approximately 1:00 PM WIB (Western Indonesia Time).

Government authorities rushed to respond to the incident. An Indonesian Navy patrol vessel patrolling the Piayu waterways changed route towards the smoke.

The F1QR Team from Lantamal IV also assisted with the firefighting efforts.

Navy Colonel Tony Priyo Utomo saw smoke rising from the deck of the KMP Tandemand while it was anchored. The F1QR Team used the Patkamla Lingga to assist in evacuating 12 crew members from the burning vessel.

The crew members were transported to the Lantamal IV Satrol Pier in good condition, while some showed signs of shock after the incident.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the incident, and the marine firefighting team remains in charge of the KMP Tandemand.

Reference: VOI, Tempo