Four injured as passengers and crew evacuated from popular Indonesian liveaboard which caught fire after the morning dive
Sea Safari VII, a traditional Indonesian Phinisi style liveaboard, has been destroyed by fire close to Labuan Bajo, while on its way to Komodo Island.
Reports in the Indonesian media state that there were 33 people on board, 17 of whom were foreign tourists, nine Indonesian nationals, and seven crew members.
The fire is reported to have broken out at around 8.30 in the morning on Thursday, 2 May. The trip was in its second day and the divers had already finished their morning dive when the alarm was raised. The exact cause of the fire is unknown, however, it is believed that a short circuit in the engine room started the blaze.
Everyone on board was safely evacuated using the Sea Safari VII‘s two lifeboats and were picked up by another nearby vessel named by the Indonesian media as Explorer 8.
Four people were injured during the evacuation and were taken by the Search and Rescue team to Siloam Hospital. The captain of Sea Safari VII is said to have received serious burn injuries during the incident, while two other crew members and a passenger were treated for minor burns and smoke inhalation.
In response to the incident, Tourism Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said that his ministry will ‘strengthen the enforcement of tourist ship safety regulations and standardization to ensure the safety of foreign and domestic tourists.’
Sea Safari VII is the third Indonesian liveaboard to have been destroyed by fire in recent months, following the destruction of the popular Indo Siren in December 2023 and the Oceanic in March this year.
No serious injuries are reported from either incident, which both occurred in Raja Ampat.
