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Batam, Indonesia | Barometerkepri.com
A massive fire at PT ASL Shipyard, a major shipbuilding and repair facility in Batam, Indonesia, has killed at least 10 workers and injured 21 others, sparking widespread anger among labor activists who are demanding the government suspend all company operations pending a full safety audit.
The tragedy occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, October 15, 2025, aboard the MT Federal 2, a vessel undergoing maintenance inside the shipyard. According to an internal report sent to the Batam Port Authority (KSOP), a total of 31 workers were affected, making it one of the worst industrial disasters in the region’s history.
Police Chief AKP Bimo Dwi Lambang confirmed the figures, saying:
> “There are 31 victims in total, ten of them have died.”
Witnesses say the company’s operations continued as usual despite the fatal fire. Employees’ parking lots were still full, and journalists were barred from entering the site. No suspension of production was observed, raising serious questions about corporate accountability and government oversight.
A company insider told Kowarnews that management had tried to suppress information about the incident.
> “They wanted to confiscate our phones. They don’t want the truth to get out,” the worker said anonymously.
Disturbingly, the same vessel — MT Federal 2 — had caught fire several months earlier, but no thorough investigation or sanctions followed. Two of the company’s safety officers were once named as suspects in a prior case, yet no major improvements have been made to workplace safety standards since then.
Officials from the Riau Islands Manpower and Transmigration Agency said they had deployed investigators to the site to assess the situation, but local activists dismissed the move as reactive and ineffective.
> “Every time workers die, the government shows up for a photo op. Then the story disappears,” said one Batam-based social activist.
Repeated accidents at PT ASL Shipyard have reignited debate over systemic negligence and weak enforcement of Indonesia’s occupational safety laws. Labor observers accuse both the government and law enforcement of turning a blind eye to dangerous working conditions in the industrial sector.
Human rights and labor groups are now urging authorities to temporarily shut down PT ASL Shipyard until there is clear evidence of compliance with international safety standards.
> “This is no longer a workplace — it’s become a graveyard for workers,” said a labor rights activist in Tanjung Uncang, Batam.
“If the government cannot protect its people, then all operations must stop.”
The incident highlights broader concerns about industrial safety and transparency in Indonesia’s shipbuilding sector, which supplies vessels and marine infrastructure for global markets. Activists say the Batam tragedy underscores the urgent need for stronger enforcement of labor protections in Southeast Asia’s rapidly growing maritime industries.
(Reported by R. S)
