Speedboat Catches Fire, North Maluku Governor Candidate Dies
The speedboat Bela 72, carrying the campaign team of the North Maluku Governor and Vice Governor candidate pair number 4, Benny Laos and Sabrin Sehe, caught fire while docked at Bobong Regional Harbor, Bobong Village, Taliabu Island Regency, North Maluku, on Saturday (October 12) at 14:05 WIT.
It was reported that six people died in this incident, including the North Maluku Governor candidate, Benny Laos. Benny Laos passed away while being treated at Bobong Regional Hospital, Taliabu Island Regency, North Maluku.
According to information gathered, the speedboat was supposed to depart from Bobong Village to Kawalo Village in West Taliabu District. The agenda of the North Maluku candidate pair number 4 was to campaign in Kawalo Village. "The medical team at the hospital did their best to provide medical treatment to Benny Laos, but at 17:20 WIT, the doctor declared Benny Laos dead," said the Head of Bobong Regional Hospital, Taliabu Island Regency, Drg. Cecilia Octavia Mbotengu, who was contacted from Ternate on Saturday. Benny Laos passed away at the age of 52, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the North Maluku Provincial Government on October 12, 2024.
The governor candidate, who was also the former regent of Morotai Island, died along with five others in the fire that engulfed the Bela 72 speedboat while docked at Bobong Harbor. When the disaster occurred, some victims were rushed to hospitals, health centers, and clinics in Bobong Taliabu. According to the data, 25 people were involved in the accident, with six confirmed dead.
The six victims included North Maluku Governor candidate Benny Laos, a member of the North Maluku Regional Council from the Democratic Party Ester Tanri, the Chairman of the North Maluku PPP Mubin A. Wahid, a member of the Sula Islands Police Hamdani Buamonabot, Mahsudin Ode Muisi, and Nasrun S.Pd. Meanwhile, five people are receiving medical care, including Sula Islands Regent candidate Hendrata Thes Maryana Meskopa, TNI member Susianto, Irsan, and Faisal.
Head of Public Relations for the North Maluku Police, Commissioner Bambang Suharyono, stated that the North Maluku Police leadership was saddened by the death of Benny Laos. He mentioned that the police are assisting in the incident, and the North Maluku Regional Police is backing up the investigation.
Currently, they are coordinating with the Taliabu Island Police for the evacuation of the victims. The victims have been identified with the help of the health team. Commissioner Bambang added that the North Maluku Police also sent a team from the Directorate of General Criminal Investigation and the Indonesian Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (Inafis) to investigate the fire on the speedboat.
"The Inafis and Criminal Investigation teams were sent to the location to investigate the fire on the speedboat that carried North Maluku Governor candidate Benny Laos during his campaign in Taliabu Island Regency," he said. Before the explosion, Taliabu Island Deputy Police Chief and other officers had warned the speedboat operator not to refuel with the engine running and to take safety precautions.
"Ten minutes after the warning, and after the officers had returned to the police station, the incident occurred. So far, ten victims have been evacuated—four people to Bobong Hospital, two to Bobong Health Center, and four others to nearby clinics. Six people have been confirmed dead, including Governor candidate Benny Laos," he said.
At the time of the incident, the speedboat was refueling and docked at the harbor. The police, with the help of local residents, tried to extinguish the fire, but the fire was intense, making it difficult to control, resulting in fatalities. "The North Maluku Police urge the public not to speculate about the incident as the investigation is still ongoing," said the Public Relations Head.
The Head of the Ternate Search and Rescue Office, Fathur Rahman, explained that the SAR office received the report from Taliabu Island Police, confirming six deaths and five people receiving medical treatment.
According to the report received on October 12, 2024, around 14:05 WIT, an explosion occurred on the Bela 72 speedboat carrying the campaign team of the North Maluku Governor candidate pair Benny Laos-Sabrin Dehe while it was docked at Bobong Regional Harbor, Bobong Village, West Taliabu District, Taliabu Island Regency, causing the entire speedboat to catch fire.
The 2024 North Maluku gubernatorial election is contested by four candidate pairs. These are Aliong Mus-Sahri Thahir (AM-Sah), supported by Gerindra, Golkar, Perindo, Garuda, and the Crescent Star Party; Benny Laos-Sarbin Sehe, supported by the Democratic Party, PKB, Nasdem, PAN, PSI, PPP, the Labor Party, and Gelora Party; Muhammad Kasuba-Basri Salama (MK-Bisa), supported by PKS and Hanura; and Husain Alting Sjah-Asrul Rasyid Ichsan, supported by a coalition of PDIP, PKN, and the Ummat Party.
Benny Laos-Sarbin Sehe was considered a strong contender to win the North Maluku gubernatorial election. A recent survey conducted by the Center for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (Pusdiham) in October 2024 showed that Benny Laos-Sarbin Sehe was leading in the polls, surpassing the other three candidates.
The survey indicated that candidate number 4, Benny-Sarbin, had the highest electability if the election were held now. "Benny Laos-Sarbin Sehe is the top choice with 40.8%, followed by Husein Alting-Asrul Rasyid with 22.5%, Aliong-Sahril with 19.3%, and Muhammad Kasuba-Basri Salama with 12.6%. Undecided voters made up 4.9%," Pusdiham stated in a written release on Friday (October 11).
