INDONESIA – Fire aboard feeder vessel at Tanjung Perak Port brought under control

A fire broke out aboard a feeder container ship while it was berthed at the Port of Tanjung Perak near Surabaya, Indonesia, on Monday, December 29. The blaze was eventually contained after several hours, allowing port operations to resume.

Firefighters responded quickly to the incident, evacuating all 22 crew members from the vessel as a precaution. Authorities confirmed that no injuries were reported. The firefighting operation lasted around four hours before the situation was declared under control.

Officials said the fire originated in the ship’s engine room and later spread to other interior areas, affecting approximately 20 square metres. Thick smoke was observed rising from near the superstructure shortly after 5:00 a.m. local time, according to eyewitness accounts.

The vessel involved was the 15,400 DWT Verizon, which had arrived at Tanjung Perak’s Berlian Container Terminal one day prior to the incident. Local media cited the ship’s operator as indicating that an electrical short circuit was the likely cause of the fire.

Built in 1995, the Verizon has been operating on Indonesia’s interisland feeder routes since 2015.

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