The owner and manager of a bulker damaged by a fire in Indonesia has said port workers tried to burn off the oil that caused the blaze.
Fleet Management Limited and Ever Judger (Holdings) said it is understood that the action was an attempt to mitigate the effects of a spill of crude.
The fire was possibly caused by a discarded fisherman's cigarette igniting oil at Balikpapan on 31 March.
The statement said the 82,000-dwt Ever Judger (built 2014) arrived in Balikpapan Bay on the night of 30 March under local pilotage and safely anchored.
"A big fire and oil spill was observed on the morning of 31 March, some 300-plus metres from the vessel. The fire moved with the tide and wind and engulfed the port side of the Ever Judger causing damage to the aft part and destroying a ship’s lifeboat," it added.
"The crew were evacuated, with the assistance of the port authority, as a prudent measure. One crew member suffered burns from the fire and is currently being treated in hospital."
Five fishermen were killed in the incident, which was caused by a leak from a Pertamina pipeline.
The crew and management of Ever Judger have been helping the investigation into the incident and continue to do so.
The statement added: "Should our vessel be found to be involved in any part of this incident, directly or tangentially, we will naturally meet our responsibilities in line with established international protocols."
