Container Ship “Verizon” Catches Fire While Berthed in Indonesia’s Tanjung Perak Port

The Indonesia-flagged container ship Verizon caught fire while moored at Tanjung Perak Port, in Surabaya Indonesia, on 29 December. No casualties were reported in the incident.

Vessel VERIZON, image credit:garuda.tv

At around 5:16 am local time, the fire reportedly ignited in the vessel’s engine room and continued to intensify, spreading to the fuel storage area, prompting an immediate response from the fire and rescue department.

According to the firefighting officials, the blaze covered approximately 20 square metres, with a depth of 6 to 7 metres, extending from the upper to the lower sections. A total of 16 fire engines were deployed from several fire stations, along with five rescue teams and four tugboats, to extinguish the fire.

After intensive firefighting, the main blaze was brought under control at around 9:05 am. All 22 crewmembers aboard the vessel were evacuated, and no injuries were reported.

Local media cited the vessel’s operator as saying the fire was likely caused by an electrical short circuit in the engine room, though an official investigation has yet to be launched to determine the exact cause.

Verizon is a 1995-built containership that measures 145.68 meters in length and 25 meters in width. The vessel was carrying a total of 9 tonnes of fuel, with 2 tonnes of black reserve fuel at the time of the incident. Authorities have yet not reported any oil pollution from the incident.