Five killed when oil tanker collides with boat

As many as five people were killed when an oil tanker collided with a boat carrying 30 passengers at the Ajaran strait, Musi river in Banyuasin, South Sumatra on Friday, Kompas reported on Saturday.

The local police said that the accident occurred when the 30-ton boat crossed the Ajaran strait crashed into the oil tanker carrying Pertamina?s oil from another direction. The driver of the boat was believed to have been unable to see the coming tanker due to a bad weather.

Other 25 passengers suffered no serious injuries.

The Musi river, one of the largest and longest in Sumatra, is still widely used for transportation between rural areas and cities in the province including Palembang.

Pertamina?s public relations official in the province said the crash did not cause any major damage or leak to the oil tanker. ?The accidence did not cause any pollution because no oil spills came from the tanker,? he said. (*)