Police Examine 15 Witnesses, Ship Fire in Tegal Can Finally Be Extinguished

As many as 15 people were examined by the police to uncover the cause of the ship fire in Tegal City, Central Java, Monday (14/8/2023). Disclosure of the case will be carried out scientifically.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI.

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

The ship's crew were on the roof of the helm which was on fire along with dozens of other ships at the Jongor Port in Tegal City, Central Java, on Tuesday (8/15/2023).

TEGAL, KOMPAS - As many as 15 witnesses were examined regarding the ship fire at the Tegalsari Coastal Fisheries Port, West Tegal District, Tegal City, Central Java. After five days of burning, the fire finally extinguished on Friday (18/8/2023).

Central Java Police Chief Inspector General Ahmad Luthfi stated that 15 witnesses come from various backgrounds. They are the first party to know about the fire, local residents around the site of the fire, and the ship owner.

Furthermore, crime scene investigation and forensic examination have also been carried out. The Central Java Regional Police deployed a forensic laboratory team and the Indonesian Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (Inafis) team.

Also read: Ship Fire in Tegal Has Not Been Resolved, Extinguishing Assistance Arrives

"There is information (the cause) related to electricity. We will first prove it with a scientific crime investigation. We will deliver (the results) later," said Luthfi in a written statement, Friday.

Previously, in a coordination meeting on ship fire management in the city of Tegal, Luthfi hoped that post-disaster recovery would be carried out quickly. Data collection for all affected parties must be carried out immediately.

KOMPAS/KRISTI DWI UTAMI

Residents observe the site of a fire that engulfed dozens of fishing boats at the Tegalsari Beach Fishing Port, West Tegal District, Tegal City, Central Java, Tuesday morning (15/8/2023). Until ten hours after the incident, the fire that occurred since Monday (14/8/2023) night has not been extinguished.

Insurance

So far, the fire has burned 63 ships belonging to 26 people. The losses are estimated to be around IDR 189 billion.

Suspected some ship owners to bear heavier burden. The reason is that dozens of burnt ships were not insured.

"We also want all ships to be insured, but the insurance companies that provide insurance for fishing vessels are few. Insurance companies consider fishing vessels to be high-risk, from sinking to catching fire," said Chairman of the Central Java Indonesian Fishermen's Association, Riswanto.

According to Riswanto, efforts to find ship insurance programs have already been made. However, when there are parties willing to facilitate insurance, the amount of claims is not proportionate to the price of the ship.

"One 60 gross ton vessel worth IDR 3 billion can only claim IDR 300 million," said Riswanto, who lost two vessels in this fire incident."

In the future, Riswanto hopes that ship fires will not occur again. Therefore, he encourages the expansion of Tegalsari Coastal Fisheries Port (PPP) to be realized soon.

"Whoever manages the city government, provincial government, or central government, the most important thing is that it needs to be expanded quickly. The condition of this port is no longer ideal," said Riswanto."

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Residents witnessed a massive fire that burned dozens of fishing boats at Tegalsari Beach Fishery Port in Tegal City, Central Java on Tuesday (15/8/2023). The fire, which started on Monday night, destroyed 52 fishing boats.

Previously, the Head of the Central Java Marine and Fisheries Office, Fendiawan Tiskiantoro, will review the Tegalsari PPP master plan. Fendiawan is still exploring the possibility of expanding the area of the mooring ponds. Currently, the area of the mooring ponds is around 60,000 square meters.

"We will collaborate with the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries because we need a considerable amount of funds," he said.

Fendiawan is also committed to reducing the risk of fire at PPP Tegalsari. This will be done by installing hydrants or permanent firefighting equipment in at least five points in the port.

Also read: Ship Fires Continue to Recur, the Port Master Plan in Tegal is Revisited

KOMPAS/KRISTI DWI UTAMI

Residents observed the location of a fire that engulfed dozens of fishing vessels at Tegalsari Coastal Fisheries Port, Tegal Barat District, Tegal City, Central Java, on Tuesday (15/8/2023) morning. As of ten hours after the incident, the fire that started since Monday (14/8/2023) night has not been extinguished yet.

Off

On Friday afternoon, the fire finally went out. After burning for five days, the last hotspot in the middle was extinguished using a mixture of water and detergent.

The blackout was carried out by personnel from Tegal City, Pekalongan City, Tegal and Brebes. Members of the National Disaster Management Agency helped use the water bombing helicopters.

"Even though the fire has been extinguished, all the fleet and personnel are still on stand by. In the evening and at night, there are quite strong onshore winds. We are worried that the fire will flare up again," said Teguh Supriyanto, Head of Fire Rescue and Prevention at the Civil Service Police Unit, Tegal City.

The concern is justified. Previously, the fire had been extinguished on Wednesday (16/8/2023) afternoon. However, a few minutes later, the fire reignited due to strong winds. As a result, 11 boats and 1 house located about 5 meters from the location of the fire were affected.