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Panamanian tanker stuck on Bintan Sea reef
Panamanian tanker Awang Bazao ran aground on a coral reef in the Bintan Sea, Riau Islands, on Wednesday evening
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anamanian tanker Awang Bazao ran aground on a coral reef in the Bintan Sea, Riau Islands, on Wednesday evening. Crew members refused to be evacuated but chose to stay on the vessel and wait for high tide.
The head of Tanjunguban Coast and Sea Guard Unit (KPLP), Faisal, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday that the tanker of 500 gross tonnage hit the coral reef early Wednesday.
A National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) team was dispatched to the accident site to rescue the crew members, but declined any help.
'They thought that they could handle the situation at high tide,' said Faisal. He said the Basarnas team continued to monitor the tanker and as of midday Thursday, the tanker was still stuck on the coral reef.
Faisal said the sea had been relatively rough in recent days and many vessels had veered off course. 'There have been three similar incidents in the past month and a small vessel sank. The sea is a bit rough, which can be very dangerous for vessels at sea,' he said.
Faisal said the size of the crew and what commodities the tanker was carrying were unknown. The tanker was on its way to Singapore (ebf)
