Sea Safari VII, the biggest of the phinisi schooners in Indonesia’s Sea Safari Cruises fleet, has become the latest in a string of dive liveaboards worldwide to suffer a devastating fire onboard. All guests and crew were safely evacuated, according to the operator.
The incident occurred near the liveaboard’s base in Labuan Bajo on Flores on 2 May. Sea Safari VII was “engulfed in a fire”, says the operator, though no information has yet been provided about how or where the blaze started.
It accommodated up to 28 divers in 14 en suite cabins, though it is not known how many guests were onboard at the time. One unofficial report has suggested there had been only 14 but large numbers of boat and dive-crew present, and that Sea Safari VII had eventually burnt to the waterline.
Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands in the south-east of Indonesia, and a base for divers exploring the Komodo National Park.
“The safety and well-being of our guests and crew are of paramount importance to us,” stated Sea Safari Cruises, which is based in Kota Denpasar, Bali and says its five ironwood-hulled phinisis make up Indonesia’s largest liveaboard fleet.
“We are taking every necessary step to investigate the incident thoroughly and to implement any measures required to prevent such occurrences in the future,” said the operator, which has thanked both its guests and crew for handling the emergency “with calmness and co-operation”.
It has also thanked the Labuan Bajo authorities and emergency services for their “swift response and assistance”.
Sea Safari Cruises started in 1988 and runs six-day Komodo National Park trips from Labuan Bajo to explores locations such as Manta Alley, Komodo, Castle Rock and Rinca.
The company said it recognised that the incident was likely to cause “concern and uncertainty, especially for those with upcoming bookings or considering travelling with us”. However, it assured clients that its team was working to address any disruptions to travel plans and provide alternative options where possible.
Also on Divernet: Oceanic liveaboard catches fire in Indonesia, Survivors speak after fatal Red Sea dive-boat fire, Dive-boat blazed, whale shark grabbed in Thailand, Blaze consumes Indo Siren liveaboard
By my count that is 16 liveaboard accidents in c.2 years. Are we taking safety for granted?
Scuba Scene, fire, Egypt 8-Apr-2022
Socorro Vortex, ran aground, Mexico 09-May-2022
Seawolf Felo, ran aground, Egypt 30-Oct-2022
Carlton Queen, Unstable, Egypt 24-Apr-2023
Dream Keeper, Unstable, Philippines, 30-Apr-2023
Sea Flower, ran aground, Egypt 15-May-2023
Omneia Soul, ran aground, Egypt 29-May-2023
New Dream, ran aground, Egypt 07-Jun-2023
Hurricane, fire, Egypt 11-Jun-2023
Emperor Echo, ran aground, Egypt 28-Oct-2023
Indo Siren, fire, Indonesia 30-Nov-2023
Reggae Queen, unstable, Thailand 23-Dec-2023
Sea Legend, fire, Egypt 22-Feb-2024
Oceanic, fire, Indonesia 11-Mar-2024
Sea World 1, fire, Thailand 02-Apr-2024
Sea Safari VII, fire, Indonesia 02-May-2024
10 fatalities and some lucky escapes.