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Explosion on Bali tourist ferry kills two people and injures 13 Bali tourist ferry explosion kills German tourist
(about 2 hours later)
An explosion on a ferry carrying 35 tourists between the Indonesian resort islands of Bali and Lombok on Thursday has reportedly killed two people, an Indonesian and a Dutch national, and injured 13. A German woman was killed in an explosion on a ferry carrying 35 tourists between the Indonesian resort islands of Bali and Lombok on Thursday.
“Two of them died, 13 were injured,” Bali police spokesman Made Sudana told Reuters, adding the explosion happened off the coast of Lombok. Up to 20 people were injured, including one passenger whose feet were blown off in the blast. The injured passengers included nationals from Portugal, Germany, Australia, South Korea and Britain, according to preliminary information from the police.
“It seems there was some sort of explosion on the boat, so there was an emergency with the engine.” Police have not determined the cause of the explosion, but have ruled out foul play. A member of the forensics team investigating the scene said initial indications were that it was an accident.
Other reports said one person, thought to be a German woman, had died, with up to 20 others wounded. It was not immediately possible to verify the differing reports. Karangasem district police chief Sugeng Sudarso said the Gili Cat 2 fast boat had about 40 people including crew on board. He said all the passengers have been evacuated and the injured are being treated at a local medical clinic.
It was not clear what caused the explosion in the speedboat but police said they did not think it was caused by a bomb. Indonesia has a poor maritime safety record and there have been similar incidents in the past where no foul play was detected. Sudarso said the explosion occurred minutes after the boat left Padangbai Port in Karangasem. Smoke was seen billowing from the engine.
Authorities said the woman killed on the boat, which was heading for the nearby holiday island of Gili Trawangan, was a foreigner but that they were still verifying her identity. “We are still questioning the boat captain while a forensic team is examining the scene to find the cause of the explosion,” he said.
The injured passengers included nationals from Portugal, Germany, Australia, South Korea and Britain, according to preliminary information from the police. “One of the passengers died from bad injuries after being hit by boat debris that also caused injuries to others,” Sudarso said.
The UK foreign office said it was assisting British holidaymakers affected by the explosion. A spokeswoman said: “We are providing consular assistance to British nationals affected by an explosion on a ferry off the coast of Bali.” Padangbai health official Putu Swardiana said one female passenger was taken to Penta Medika clinic where she died. Speaking to the Jakarta Post Putu said: “We have not yet identified the victim but it is suspected that she is a German citizen.”
The boat was carrying 35 passengers, all foreigners, and four crew, and had just left Padang Bai port in eastern Bali on Thursday morning when the blast occurred. Earlier reports suggested up to three people had died in the accident.
“The explosion happened five minutes after the boat departed,” local police chief Sugeng Sudarso told AFP news agency, adding the vessel had been about 200m from the port. A passenger manifest said nine of those on board were from Britain, according to Jakarta based reporter Jewel Topsfield. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We are providing consular assistance to British nationals affected by an explosion on a ferry off the coast of Bali.”
“One female passenger died from head injuries.” He said the injured passengers were being taken to hospitals on the island. Passengers on board were reported to also included six Italians, five from France, four from Portugal, four Austrians and two each from Ireland, Netherlands and Germany.
He said authorities were investigating and police and the bomb squad had been deployed, although he later appeared to rule out a bomb as the cause.
“Based on the testimony [from passengers] and from what I saw on the scene, the explosion came from the fuel tank,” he said. “Above it was a battery, maybe there was a short circuit that affected the fuel tank.”
The Indonesian archipelago of more than 17,000 islands is heavily dependent on ferry services but the industry has a poor safety record and fatal accidents are common.The Indonesian archipelago of more than 17,000 islands is heavily dependent on ferry services but the industry has a poor safety record and fatal accidents are common.
Last year, dozens of tourists were injured when small explosions hit a ferry crossing between Bali and the neighbouring holiday island of Lombok.Last year, dozens of tourists were injured when small explosions hit a ferry crossing between Bali and the neighbouring holiday island of Lombok.
The explosions were an accident and thought to have come from the fuel tank of the ferry, which was carrying 129 passengers, most of them tourists.The explosions were an accident and thought to have come from the fuel tank of the ferry, which was carrying 129 passengers, most of them tourists.
Bali and neighbouring Lombok are two of Indonesia’s most popular holiday destinations.Bali and neighbouring Lombok are two of Indonesia’s most popular holiday destinations.
This is a developing news story. More to come.
Reuters, AFP and Press Association contributed to this report.Reuters, AFP and Press Association contributed to this report.