A tragic fire aboard an oil tanker undergoing repairs at a shipyard on Batam Island claimed the lives of ten workers and left twenty-one others injured early Wednesday morning, local authorities reported.

The incident of MT Federal II, which was docked for maintenance just off Indonesia’s Riau Islands Province, near Singapore. Fire crews responded swiftly and managed to contain the blaze within an hour. Despite their efforts, multiple fatalities were confirmed at the scene, and injured victims were transported to several nearby hospitals for treatment.

Authorities stated that the tanker was not carrying oil cargo at the time of the fire. Preliminary investigations suggest that sparks from welding operations may have ignited flammable vapors in a confined area of the ship, causing the explosion and subsequent blaze.

Batam Police Chief Zaenal Arifin confirmed that investigators are working with maritime safety officials to determine the exact cause of the incident. “We are coordinating with the shipyard and relevant authorities to establish the sequence of events and identify possible safety violations,” Arifin said.

This marks the second fatal fire involving the MT Federal II within five months. A previous blaze in June killed four workers and resulted in the arrest of two shipyard safety officers for alleged negligence after investigators found that gas residues had not been properly cleared before repair work began.

The latest incident has renewed scrutiny over occupational safety standards in Indonesia’s shipbuilding and repair industry, where hazardous conditions and limited enforcement have led to recurring workplace accidents.