On June 26, the 3200 dwt general cargo vessel Carka Jaya Niaga III-7 caught fire while berthed in Gresik, East Java, Indonesia with a cargo of timber. The fire started in the engine room from sparks by a welding torch. The fire quickly grew out of control and the 25 crew on board abandoned ship. Four tugs quickly responding to the scene and local firefighting efforts were able to extinguish the blaze. No reports of injuries. Damage to the fire was contained to the superstructure and the cargo of timber was undamaged.
The 112 year old, 74 foot tugboat Elf sank twice in three days. The first was in Mamquam Blind Channel in Squamish on January 14. The tug spilt some 1500 litres of diesel fuel and lubricant oil. The Coast Guard placed booms around the sunken vessel to contain the pollution. The Elf was later raised using a barge and crane. It was surveyed and no cause for the sinking was determined. The Elf was taken under tow and was headed to a shipyard on the Fraser River when the tug sank again off Point Atkinson, British Columbia. The tugboat sank and rests some 120 meters below the surface. No reports of injuries. Reports state the cause of the sinkings remains unknown.
Photo: cbc.ca
A 52 foot tugboat sank on the Fraser River on January 22 near Richmond, British Columbia. The tugboat had been at anchor when the vessel anchor dragged allowing the vessel to go adrift. The vessel drifted until it collided with a piling and began to take on water. The tug eventually sank. No reports of injuries. A small amount of pollution was released.
On January 20, a tugboat and coal barge sank on the Batanghari River near Jambi, Indonesia. The tug and barge were proceeding down the river when the tug became unstable by the river current and capsized. The tug struck the barge and both sank. Two men were reported missing presumed lost.
The 72 meter long, 541 dwt ro-ro ferry KM Sahabat sank off Jakarta, Indonesia. The ferry was en route to Tanjung Pinang with 139 passengers and 26 crew in calm seas. An hour into its journey the weather worsened. Waves reached 5 meters causing the vessel to lose steerage. The KM Sahabat capsized onto its starboard side. The master ordered crew and passengers to don life jackets and abandon ship into the vessel’s life raft. An SOS signal was sent out and 3 to 4 hours later several tugboats arrived on scene. Seven people were reported missing. Three others were rescued and taken to hospital for injuries.
