4 dead in Customs boat blast

Four officers from the Belawan Customs and Excise Office died when their patrol boat exploded in the waters off Pantai Labu district in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, on Friday afternoon.

Two officers were injured and three remain missing.

According to MetroTVnews.com, the explosion occurred when the vessel was in the Malaka Strait, about a kilometer from Ancol Beach in Regemuk subdistrict. Preliminary reports said the vessel's generator exploded.

The bodies of the victims, Chandra Mexi, James Sipahutar, Iwan Koto and Sukamto, were severely burned and taken to Pirngadi Hospital in Medan.

Two survivors, boat captain Zulbasri and a crewman, Susanto, were under treatment at Columbia Asia Hospital in Medan on Saturday morning.