Timber barge leaks in Java Sea, spilling hundreds of logs

Authorities and forestry officials are investigating an incident in the Java Sea involving the barge Lintas Samudera XXIII. Due to bad weather, the barge, which was being towed by the tugboat TB Yamdena 03, experienced a leak and tilted, causing hundreds of logs to fall into the sea and drift toward the coast of Sumenep, East Java.

The shipment consisted of 697 Meranti logs totaling 4,547.66 cubic meters. The timber originated from two locations in East Kalimantan—Merandai in Kutai Kartanegara and Samburakat in Berau—and was destined for the PT Kutai Timber Indonesia log pond in Probolinggo, East Java. The Ministry of Forestry is currently verifying transport documents and the origin of the logs to coordinate the handling of the drifting timber.