Jakarta, July 24 -- Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi has requested that the cooling process for the KM Barcelona VA, which recently caught fire in the waters off Talise Island, North Minahasa, North Sulawesi, be expedited to enable prompt investigation.

The minister stated that, based on a report from the Manado Harbormaster and Port Authority Office (KSOP), the ship was still emitting smoke, so cooling efforts were still underway as of Tuesday evening, July 22.

"Therefore, I have asked the team to expedite the cooling process," the minister noted in a statement in Jakarta on Thursday.

He emphasized the need to speed up the ship's cooling process so the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) can immediately begin its i...