A fire occurred on Sunday at ASL Shipyard on Batam Island, Indonesia, marking another safety incident at the facility. The fire was located on the top open deck of an unmanned vessel that had been in cold lay-up for over five years at the yard's south lay-up berth.

Response and Investigation

There were no injuries or fatalities, as no workers or crew were onboard. The yard's emergency team responded swiftly, and the fire resulted in only very minor structural damage to the vessel. A joint investigation with the shipowner is planned, and the local police unit in Barelang City is also investigating the incident.

Context of Previous Incidents

This fire follows two separate fatal incidents at the same Batam facility last year, both involving the Federal II floating storage and offloading vessel during repair work. An October incident resulted in 13 fatalities and 18 injuries, while a June fire on the same vessel led to 4 fatalities and 5 injuries. Earlier this month, local media reported that seven individuals from various management levels at the Indonesian shipyard had been named as suspects in the October case.

Financial Performance

Despite these safety incidents, the financial standing of ASL Shipyard's parent company, ASL Marine Holdings, remains strong amidst a buoyant regional marine sector. The group reported a 12.1% year-on-year revenue increase in its latest quarterly report, driven by shipbuilding and ship repair services. Furthermore, its subsidiary, ASL Offshore & Marine, secured S$82 million in ship chartering contracts last October. The group is scheduled to release its half-year financial results on 12 February.