Stampede kills 8, injures 60 aboard Indonesian ship

Stampede kills 8, injures 60 aboard Indonesian ship

2011-09-28 20:26:46 GMT+7 (ICT)

SURABAYA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- A passenger ship carrying more than 750 people caught fire off of East Java in Indonesia on early Wednesday morning, officials said, causing a deadly stampede among the passengers.

The KM Kirana IX was carrying 758 passengers when it departed the port of Tanjung Perak in Surabaya in East Java on Wednesday. It was on its way to the island of Borneo when a fire broke out, causing panic among the passengers.

Port officials said that smoke originating from the lower deck caused chaos as passengers tried to evacuate the affected areas as it filled with smoke. Survivors said a stampede broke out, and an initial investigation showed that all of the victims died as a result of being trampled.

As investigative teams from the East Java Forensic Laboratory continue working, preliminary reports indicate that a truck on the lower deck of the ship caught fire, causing heavy smoke but no damage to the ship itself.

A total of eight people were killed as a result of the panic while more than 60 others were injured and taken to Sutomo Hospital in Surabaya. Some of the wounded were seriously injured, according to police.

Indonesia is conformed by a large group of islands and accidents involving boats are not uncommon as many ships are in poor conditions and lack safety measures. Many boats are often overcrowded and travel without passenger lists.

On Tuesday, three people were killed and more than 100 were injured when the MV Marine Nusantara collided with the tugboat Pualuat Tiga 330/22 near Kadap Isle in the Barito River, which is located in Indonesia's South Kalimantan province. A total of 443 people were on board the passenger ship.

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