The fatalities were identified as Johan, Niko and Eko, who were immediately rushed to the Cipto Mangunkusumo general hospital (RSCM) for autopsies.
A witness, Teguh, another member of the MV Melinium crew, said the incident happened while three of his colleagues were working in the engine room.
"All of a sudden, I heard the loud sound of an explosion coming from the engine room," the witness said, adding the three ship crew members were killed instantly.
According to Teguh, two other crew members, namely Ridwan and Widodo, actually tried to enter the engine room to rescue the victims, but the engine room was full of CO2 smoke that poisened them so that they had to be taken to the Sukmul hospital in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta.
In the meantime, the police detective and criminal section head of Tanjung Priok harbour, Adjunct Commissioner Jerry Raymond Siagian said police had taken the exploded extinguisher with them as evidence.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
