At least three crew were fatally injured after the tanker MT Ronggolawe exploded on 13 March in the Java Sea, Indonesia.
According to the Jakarta Post, the explosion occurred on 13 March, around 6:00 a.m., as the tanker, carrying fuel and coal was being towed by the Roselyne 08 tugboat toward a dock at Lamongan Shorebase Port.
Lamongan Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Bobby A. Condroputra said the tanker suffered four separate explosions during the incident, with the fire quickly spreading to the tugboat. “The explosion is believed to have been caused by a short circuit in MT Ronggolawe’s engine,” he said.
Furthermore, officers from the East Java Police’s Water and Air Directorate (Ditpolairud), the Lamongan Police, and officials from Lamongan Shorebase Port were deployed to extinguish the fire.
After the fire was put out the MT Ronggolawe, which sustained severe damage to its front and middle sections was towed to a beach near the PT Lamongan Marine Industry shipyard.
Authorities confirmed that there were 11 crew members aboard the MT Ronggolawe at the time of the incident. As reported, three were killed in the explosion, two sustained severe burns, and the remaining six suffered minor injuries.
