Video is circulating on social media of a cargo ship fire yesterday, January 12, in Indonesia. Reports are limited but local officials are saying that they were able to evacuate 17 crew members after the fire began. It took several hours to bring the blaze under control.
The vessel is a 1,760 dwt general cargo ship built in 1990 and operating for Japanese shipping companies until 2009. She was acquired and renamed Fortuner with her registered owners according to the Equasis database as Prime Tirta Jaya of Surabaya, Indonesia. The ship is registered in Indonesia.
The video shows flames and black smoke coming from the area around the accommodation block of the vessel. The vessel, which is 216 feet long, was empty at the time and can be seen riding high in the water.
Fortuner was at anchor at the port of Gresik in the East Java province at the time the fire broke out. Some of the reports are saying that the vessel was waiting to load cement.
Local reports are suggesting that the fire was caused by an electrical short on the bridge. Other reports, however, are saying that there was welding going on aboard the vessel and a spark ignited the fire.
Fireboats and the Indonesian Navy responded to the fire and evacuated the crew.
