Eleven crew still missing after cargo vessel fire near Indonesia's Bengkulu coast
A fire broke out in the engine room of the cargo ship KM Prima Sentosa off Bengkulu, leaving eleven crew members unaccounted for while thirteen were rescued.
Around 7 pm on Friday, a fire erupted in the engine room of the cargo vessel KM Prima Sentosa while it was sailing off the western coast of Sumatra, between Muara Jawa and Nagan Raya. Thirteen of the 24 crew members managed to board a life raft and were rescued by the nearby vessel Seroja 20. The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) received a distress call at 8 pm and sent a joint rescue effort, involving the Indonesian Navy, maritime police, port operator Pelindo and local fishermen, to the scene about 30 nautical miles from Pulau Baai Port.
Despite extensive surface and underwater searches, eleven crew members remain missing. In a separate incident in East Nusa Tenggara, rescuers are still looking for 23-year-old diving guide Veronica Beatrix Jessica after the tourist boat KM Feronia capsized near Tatawa Island, with 29 of the 30 passengers rescued.
Why it matters
The incident highlights ongoing maritime safety challenges in Indonesia's busy shipping lanes.
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