THREE crew members on a fuel vessel were reportedly killed today after a fire broke out in the west coastal waters of Lombok island, Indonesia.

The accident occurred at 2.50pm local time and rescuers saved 14 members of the 17-person crew, according to the Mataram disaster management agency.

The vessel caught fire while waiting in line to unload fuel at Pertamina’s Ampenan depot, its spokesperson Dady Sukmawan said.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, he was quoted by online media as saying.

According to PT Pertamina Patra Niaga for East Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara Barat, PT Pertamina International Shipping had hired the vessel, MT Christine, to transport six million litres of fuel.

Pertamina Patra Niaga would ensure the survivors received appropriate medical attention and the incident would not disrupt fuel supply, its spokesperson, Taufik Kurniawan said.

Pertamina Patra Niaga is a subsidiary of state-owned integrated energy company Pertamina. – Bernama, March 26, 2023.