Tanker Catches Fire at Pertamina Fuel Terminal

Early Friday morning, the product tanker Srikandi 511 caught fire at a Pertamina-run fuel terminal on the Barito River in Banjarmasin, Indonesia. The tanker's crew escaped safely, and the fire was extinguished within two hours. 

"I do not know exactly what caused it, suddenly the tanker was on fire, and the oil spill filled the river channel," said tugboat captain Sapri Eko, speaking to Indonesian outlet Tempo. 

In a statement, Pertamina said that the fire broke out at the terminal's jetty #3. For safety, the affected pier is now shut down, but jetty #1 remains in operation. Pertamina staff worked to contain the blaze and successfully prevented it from affecting the rest of the terminal facility. 

Pertamina spokesperson Yudy Nugraha told media that the fire will not affect the availability of fuel in South Kalimantan. The next fuel delivery is expected to arrive from a larger storage facility in Kotabaru today. 

The cause of the fire is unknown and remains under investigation, according to Pertamina. The East Java Police Forensic Laboratory will search the vessel for evidence of the fire's origin. 

The 2013-built Srikandi 511 is a 2,700 dwt self-propelled oil barge owned and operated by a firm in Jakarta.