On April 24, three vessels ran aground off the shore of Merak, West Java, Indonesia. The three vessels had been blown ashore by strong winds and waves reaching 4 meters. The vessel LCT Batiwakkal Berau and tanker Soechi Chemical Permai I Jakarta washed ashore off Peacock Beach Hotel beach. A third vessel ship ran aground around the beach Hotel Pelangi. A tug was unable to refloat the vessels. No reports of injuries.
The 454 gt cargo vessel Kumala Endah sank off Belawan, Indonesia in the Strait of Malacca. The Kumala Endah was en route to Borneo with 700 tons of steel from Belawan when it struck an underwater object. The Kumala Endah suffered hull damage and water ingress. The cargo vessel quickly sank with 5 crewmen able to swim ashore. Another 9 crew were reported as missing. Reports state the Kumala Endah may have struck a shipwreck which had been reported in the area where the incident occurred.
On January 24, the 55 meter long general cargo vessel Mentari Pratama caught fire while berthed in Surabaya, Indonesia. The vessel was docked at a repair yard when a welder’s gas cylinder exploded. Three men were injured and taken to hospital for burns. Local fire fighters were able to bring the resulting blaze under control an hour later. Part of the Mentari Pratama’s superstructure was scorched by the fire.
