Hamjan, head of the Raha Port Authority office, said the incident involving the Legenda Nusantara 699 occurred on Tuesday, Xinhua reported.
All 13 crew members were evacuated from the vessel. Seven of them survived without serious injuries, while four others were taken to a hospital for intensive care.
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The vessel was carrying heavy equipment and chemicals when strong waves were believed to have caused its cargo to shift. According to Hamjan, the movement of the cargo led to a chemical tank leaking, which subsequently triggered the fire.
The vessel was later reported to have sunk, with some of the chemicals it was carrying spilling into the surrounding waters.
The Transportation Ministry and relevant agencies are responding to the impact of the chemical spill and investigating the cause of the accident, as well as the deaths of the two crew members.
