World News | A Tanker Ship Catches Fire off Indonesia's Bali Island, Leaving 5 Crew Dead and 15 Injured

Denpasar (Indonesia), Aug 7 (AP) A tanker ship caught fire Wednesday off Indonesia's Bali island, leaving five crew members died and 15 others injured, officials said.

The tanker Elisabeth with 21 crew on board caught fire at Gili Tepekong in Bali's Karangasem district while travelling to West Nusa Tenggara province, police said.

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A crew member said that when the tanker neared Gili Tepekong, an explosion occurred near the crew's living area. The chief officer found the helmsman lying on the deck with burns on his body, Karangasem police Chief Nengah Sadiarta said.

The tanker stopped moving and a second explosion then occurred, he said.

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"After checking, it was found that there was a fire in the engine room. The crew gathered at the muster station, but there were five people who did not join and were found dead," Sadiarta said.

Three crew members suffered serious burns and 12 others were being treated for minor injuries, he said. The captain was reported to be safe.

The cause of the fire is being investigated. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)