Second fatal shipyard fire in Batam spurs national alarm over safety practices
The fire claimed ten lives, and is the second blaze on the same vessel this year (Source: ASL Shipyard Indonesia)
A deadly fire aboard the floating storage and offloading (FSO) Federal II has reignited serious concerns over shipyard safety in Indonesia, after authorities confirmed ten fatalities and 21 injuries in the early hours of October 15. This is the second major incident at the same facility in under five months.
The blaze broke out around 04:30 local time at ASL Shipyard in Batam, sending thick smoke drifting across nearby industrial zones, according to eyewitnesses. Fire crews managed to bring the situation under control within an hour, but not before the fire claimed the lives of shipyard workers, the majority succumbing to smoke inhalation. Local hospitals received more than a dozen injured personnel, with police stating that several remain in critical condition.
The Federal II, originally built in Japan in 1990, is a 95,759dwt tanker with a length of 232m. It had been at the yard for several months undergoing conversion from a tanker into a floating storage and offloading unit (FSO) after completing a decade-long charter with China’s CNOOC on the Widuri field.
Authorities have launched a full investigation, collecting physical evidence and interviewing workers present during the incident. Police confirmed that this fire erupted in a different part of the vessel from the blaze in June, which killed four workers and injured nine others. That earlier incident was determined to have been sparked by welding in a compartment where flammable gas had accumulated without proper ventilation. Two employees were named as suspects for failing to follow safety protocols.
The recurrence of fatal fires within such a short timeframe has prompted intensified scrutiny from Government officials, who say the pattern points to systemic lapses in safety oversight. Investigators are now examining whether procedures mandated after the first incident were fully implemented, or ignored entirely.
With ten lives lost and more than 20 people injured in the latest tragedy, authorities are signalling that enforcement actions are likely to follow once the investigation concludes.
