Palm oil ship sinks off Kalimantan, Indonesia

[News_Editor]

Palm oil ship sinks off Kalimantan, Indonesia

2011-06-24 20:24:35 GMT+7 (ICT)

KALIMANTAN, INDONESIAN (BNO NEWS) -- An Indonesian palm oil ship sunk off the island of Kalimantan, but authorities have received no official word regarding the incident or reports of casualties, officials said Friday.

The incident occurred on Thursday when a speedboat operated by North Shell in Kotabaru, Kalimantan spotted only the ship's rooftop in the surface of the Tanjung Dewa waters just off Kotabaru, Gatra reported, adding that the vessel was believed to have sailed from Pamukan Selatan and heading toward Sampanahan.

The ship was reportedly carrying some 15 tons of palm oil as well as fresh fruit bunches, according to Farid, the speedboat operator, explaining that high waves and rough waters probably caused the ship to sink.

However, Kotabaru's Port Administration Office chief, Jhony Lintang, said the administration had not received any reports of a palm oil tanker sinking in the area. The office's chief added that upon receiving information, search and rescue teams are usually deployed quickly.

On Monday, at least 23 people died while 73 others survived the sinking of freight vessel PM Martasiah B II in the same Tanjung Dewa waters, as it was carrying at least 100 passengers from the port of Panjang Geronggang in Kotabaru.

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