The cargo ship was carrying roof tiles, water tubes, and foams under the command of Mohamad Tabri, heading for Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan from Semarang at 11.45 am.
A boat from the Semarang Tanjung Emas port managed to put out the raging flames on Fajar Biru several hours later.
The freighter eventually went down in a heavily damaged condition.
According to one of the crew members, Sutarwa, the fire broke out when he saw white smoke coming out of the engine room of the ship.
All the crew members tried to put out the fire using extinguishers and sea waters, but their efforts had not been very successful and the flames continued to expand burning all the cargo, he said.
Sutarwa suspected the fire was caused by an electrical short-circuit in the engine room, because the lights went off a few minutes before the fire started.
"All the crew members then decided to abandon ship where we received assistance from local fishermen and the police," Sutarwa said.
Central Java Water Police Chief Aadjunct Commissioner Dhani Hernando said that the location of the ill-fated ship was at coordinates 06 degree 49`412 southern latitude and 110 degree 24`537" Eastern Longitude.
"While on patrol police saw a puff of smoke from the burning ship and headed for the location to provide assistance with coordination of the National SAR (Search And Rescue) Agency," he said.
(Uu.A050/H-NG/B003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
