TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Bali tourist boat blast not caused by explosives: Police
Change Size
Under investigation — The National Police's Denpasar forensic laboratory head, Koesnadi, shows results of an investigation into the Gili Cat 2 fast boat explosion, during a press conference on Monday. (JP/Ni Komang Erviani)
T
he National Police’s forensic laboratory has concluded an investigation into a blast on the Gili Cat 2 near Padangbai Harbor in Karangasem regency, Bali, on Thursday, saying no explosives were found on the fast boat.
“The explosion was not triggered by explosive material," head of the police’s Denpasar forensic laboratory, Koesnadi, told a press conference on Monday.
He said the blast was caused by a leak from the boat’s fuel tank, which was connected to its three engines. The fuel, he said, leaked out of the tank and filled an area under the deck that housed an electricity system channel.
Sparks were then triggered below deck. “It was the electrical disturbance that caused sparks that eventually led to the explosion,” said Koesnadi.
He explained that during the investigation, the forensic team found a broken 3-inch piece of PVC pipe where the boat’s electricity was channeled from the engine to a storage battery.
“When the boat sailed, maybe there was a shock that further weakened the electricity channel, causing electrical sparks that triggered the explosion," Koesnadi said.
The blast killed two tourists and injured 19 others. The boat, which was carrying 35 foreign tourists, was en route to the Gili Islands in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. The incident occurred around 200 meters from Padangbai.
Bali Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Anak Agung Made Sudana said the police’s investigation into the accident was ongoing.
"As of now, we haven't named any suspects in the case," Sudana said. (ebf)
