The coastal region of Kampung Melayu Nongsa in Batam, Riau Islands, has been hit by an oil spill caused by a Gabonese-flagged tanker that caught fire in the Malaysian waters. According to the Riau Islands head of special crime Sr. Comr. Nasriadi, satellite data confirms the spill occurred in three locations with an estimated spill area of 13.7 square kilometers. The police aim to coordinate with the environment agency and the harbormaster and port authority office to pump out the contaminated area using tanker trucks as the KSOP’s ship is not suitable for docking. Khairul Bahri, a local community leader, shared that the black oil waste has damaged the fishing nets and jeopardized their usual activities. He also mentioned that during the strong winds season, the Batam coastline is often polluted by oil waste from illegally disposed tankers. The government’s investigation is being hoped for by Khairul to address this frequent occurrence. In a separate event, a Malaysian-flagged tanker caught fire in the Outside Port Limits (OPL) waters last month, leading to casualties.
