Fire on the Hading Bay-538
An Indonesian warship, Hading Bay-538, caught fire unexpectedly in broad daylight on June 3. The Indonesian Navy verified the incident and confirmed that none of the 119 crew members and sailors aboard sustained any injuries. Originating as the Cottbus, this Frosch-I/Type 108 landing ship was commissioned by the former East German Volksmarie in 1978 before being declared surplus.
Location of the Incident
The vessel was approximately 11 nautical miles east of the Selayar Straits and seven nautical miles from South Sulawesi Island when reports of the fire surfaced. Although the exact time the fire started remains unclear, information reached the shore at 14:15 local time. The Indonesian Navy swiftly sent five ships to the rescue.
Evacuation Process
A Navy tugboat, Bahtera Zalfa, happened to be nearby and immediately came to the aid of Hading Bay-538, assisting in the evacuation procedure. Images reveal the crew members of Hading Bay-35 wearing lifejackets and gathering in the forward section of the vessel, with thick smoke billowing out from the aft part. Additionally, two commercial vessels, the Indonesian-registered bulk carrier Golden Ace and the Singapore-registered containership Green Wave, altered their courses to be of assistance.
Orderly Evacuation and Next Steps
During a media briefing, the First Admiral and Head of the Naval Information Service, Wira Hady Arsanta, commended everyone for performing an orderly evacuation. He emphasized that the crew was highly trained for emergencies and executed the evacuation process efficiently. In just about 30 minutes, the entire crew was safely off the burning vessel with no reported injuries. The cause of the fire and the sequence of events remain unclear at present. In the meantime, a tugboat has secured the Hading Bay-538 and is towing it to the nearest port.
