Indonesia ferry sinking: Rescuers intensify search for 30 people still missing; at least 6 dead
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CNA
9 hours ago
- CNA
5 dead after ferry catches fire off Indonesia's Sulawesi island; passengers jump for safety
JAKARTA: An Indonesian ferry fire killed at least five people on Sunday (Jul 20), the country's coast guard said, while more than 200 others were saved with many jumping overboard to flee the huge blaze. Dramatic footage of passengers jumping into the sea made the rounds on social media after the KM Barcelona 5 ferry was engulfed in flames off the coast of Sulawesi island, Indonesia's Maritime Security Agency said. The incident came just weeks after at least 19 people were killed when a ferry sank off the popular resort island of Bali. "Five people were reported dead, two of whom have yet to be identified. Meanwhile, 284 people have been evacuated safely," the agency, also known as Bakamla, said in a statement. The fire broke out at the ferry's stern as it was on its way to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, with some passengers jumping overboard with life jackets, the statement said. Local media reported that the vessel was ferrying 280 passengers and was scheduled to dock at Manado Port. Fishermen also helped evacuate the victims to nearby islands, while those injured were taken to the nearest health facility, Bakamla added. The accident happened about one hour away from the resort town of Likupang, in the northern tip of Sulawesi, Manado search and rescue agency head, George Leo Mercy Randang, told AFP. A video released by the Manado agency showed a Bakamla vessel spraying water on the ferry, which was still emitting thin black smoke. "What is important is that we are prioritising rescue before nightfall," George told AFP, without confirming the total number of people who were on board the ferry. Neither he nor Bakamla gave a cause for the fire. Videos of the vessel fire went viral on TikTok, with some reportedly taken by passengers who had jumped aboard for safety. Thick plumes of black smoke could be seen in the background as passengers floated in the water. In another clip posted on Tiktok by user Soalunsrat, passengers on the vessel were seen hurriedly putting on life vests even as others were seen panicking and attempting to make calls on their mobile phones.
CNA
14 hours ago
- CNA
Vessel catches fire off Indonesia's North Sulawesi province as passengers jump for safety
SINGAPORE: Dramatic footage of passengers jumping into the sea after the vessel they on caught fire made the rounds on social media on Sunday (Jul 20), with Indonesian news outlet Detik reporting that the incident happened off an island in the country's North Sulawesi province. "According to initial information, the fire is located (off of) Talise island," Jerry Harmonsina, secretary of the North Sulawesi Regional Disaster Management Agency, told Detik. There has been no confirmation of the number of casualties, but Jerry told Detik that the fire broke out on the vessel on Sunday afternoon. Local media reported that the vessel – KM Barcelona 5 – was ferrying 280 passengers and was scheduled to dock at Manado Port. Jerry further said that a search and rescue team has been deployed to the location to carry out evacuations, while local fishermen are also assisting in rescue efforts. "The evacuation is currently underway, involving various units from the Navy, the National Search and Rescue Agency, the Coast Guard (as well as) assistance from local fishermen in the surrounding area," Jerry added. Videos of the vessel fire went viral on TikTok, with some reportedly taken by passengers who had jumped aboard for safety. Thick plumes of black smoke could be seen in the background as passengers floated in the water. In another clip posted on Tiktok by user Soalunsrat, passengers on the vessel were seen hurriedly putting on life vests even as others were seen panicking and attempting to make calls on their mobile phones.
CNA
6 days ago
- CNA
11 missing after boat capsizes in western Indonesia
JAKARTA: At least 11 people are missing after a boat capsized off Indonesia's western island of Sumatra, a local search and rescue agency said in a statement on Tuesday (Jul 15). The vessel reportedly capsized around 11am (12pm, Singapore time) on Monday as it sailed around the Mentawai islands, an archipelago off the west coast of Sumatra, the Mentawai search and rescue agency said. Seven of the 18 people on board the boat were rescued, it said. Rescuers were focusing their search around the location of the accident, said Mentawai search and rescue agency head Rudi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. "Our focus is on combing the area around the estimated accident site to find all victims," Rudi said in a statement. He did not give a cause for the boat capsizing, but marine accidents are a regular occurrence in the Southeast Asian archipelago of around 17,000 islands, in part due to lax safety standards or bad weather. On Jul 3, a ferry sank off the popular resort island of Bali, killing at least 18 people. In March, a boat carrying 16 people capsized in rough waters off Bali, killing an Australian woman and injuring at least one other person.
