KD Inderapura Biodata 

Type: Warship

Class: Landing Ship

TankOrigin: USS Spartanburg County made by National Steel SB, San Diego

USA First Commission: November 11th, 1970 (USS Spartanburg County)

Malaysia First Commision: December 16th 1994

Specs:

LENGTH : 159.2mBEAM : 21.18m

DISPLACEMENT : 4793 tons / 8450 tons (fl)

ARMAMENT : 4/76.2mm DP, 1/20mm Mk 15 CIWS, 2-4/12.7mm .50cal machine guns

MACHINERY : 6 diesels; 2 CP props; 16500hpSPEED : 22 knotsCREW : 186 + 430 marines

Tuesday, October 13

KD Seri Inderapura was towed out of the jetty with fire still raging and about to sink. The bridge, the highest point where the commanding officer (CO) and the officer of the watch (OOW) used to issue command while in operation has collapsed.

Wednesday, October 14

The battered hull, together with merchandise and spare parts worth millions of ringgit that was loaded onboard is now resting, with smoke still bellowing. She will rest in piece to serve as artificial reef in the vicinity of Pulau Pangkor. Her mast, still sticking out of the water will serve as a reminder of the weaknesses and deficiencies of the navy right from the lowest rank (rating) to the highest command.

For days and weeks to come, oil that spill out of her tank will pollute the sea and its surrounding beaches. Compensations to fishermen, hotels and the tourism industy will further erode the ministiry’s resources. And tax payers.Just to refresh our memory, a similar  fire that ravaged the same ship in 2002 cost the taxpayers tens of millions of ringgit in restoration work. What is the outcome of the board of inquiries.

Has it been made public or are discreetly kept under the carpet. It was widely believed that the aforesaid incident was due to electrical short circuit. If it was so, the investigating team would have found evidence such as burnt electrical cables. Which they did not.

The sailors onboard who were called to testify vehemently insisted that it was really a short circuit and even went to the extent of swearing with the Quran. After seeing one of the officer in the BOI blew his top, a witness finally admitted that it was their folly and they have been lying all along.What was the cause then.

The fire started from the galley. A sailor, or a bunch of them made use of the galley and while waiting for the oil in the frying pan to get hot, he or they left the galley unattended. And while they were busy watching videos, the overheated oil caught fire. The fire was put off in no time. And believing that all is well, they left the galley not realizing that the ember is still there lay hidden. Luckily, the second fire did not destroy the whole ship otherwise the truth will never be known.

What is the cause of the fire that obliterated the whole ship this time around. How on earth did the defense minister came out with prompt conclusion (or presumption) that the carnage was caused by a short circuit and completely ruled out sabotage or arson.

Initially, it was thought that TLDM has neglected that very important safety aspect of having an effective Fire Fighting team but this was incorrect or at least partially incorrect. The night in question, the officer on duty conducted five fire drills, the last of which was a couple of hours before the real fire.

After being repeatedly disrupted from their sleep, a feeling of disgust, slowly but surely begin to take shape within their tired souls and body. So, when the alarm sounded for the sixth time, they thought it was just another drill not realizing that this time it was for real. How would we expect the sailors to react…their tired bodies are no more able to respond quickly to what the mind orderd or perhaps the brain failed to think clearly.

In the confusion, procedures went haywire.

What went wrong. The electrical supply was disconnected. It has yet to be confirmed whether the electrical supply was from the ship’s own generator or from TNB.  When the ship is deprived of such vital supply, darkness engulfed. Bilge and fire fighting pumps become useless. And the ship was left to burn while awaiting for outside help.

The big question mark is…why the supply to the ship disconnected prematurely. Isn’t there any circuit breakers that could isolate certain section onboard? Was there any emphasis placed for such contingencies during the five fire drills preceding the inferno? What was the focus then. It is believed that the officer conducting the drill is specially trained fire officer.

When fire occured onboard ships, the best men to fight the fire are the ship’s crew. Civilians or outsiders who are alien to door and hatch markings will more often than not get lost even when the ships are fully illuminated. What more when the ship is in total darkness. Under such circumcirtances, losing your way is tantamount to inviting disaster.

KDSI lost her bouyancy not so much becuase of the fire but more likely due to the incessant spraying of seawater that eventually filled the tank deck, engine room and other compartments.

What could TLDM learn from this sad episode. What are the answers to the following:

Why there were ‘five fire drills’ that night and for what purpose.

Where were, if any, the portable bilge and fire pumps that could operate independently

Who gave the order for the electrical supply to be disconnected.  Prematurely.

Were there circuit breakers that could isolate certain part of the ship and if they existed, why were they not utilized.

Lastly…how competent was the officer in applying his skill of ‘drilling’ his crew when the situation warranted?

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