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At least five dead, including pregnant woman, after ferry fire tragedy

At least five dead, including pregnant woman, after ferry fire tragedy

9 News5 days ago
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here A passenger ferry carrying hundreds of people caught fire at sea off Sulawesi island in Indonesia , killing at least five people. More than 280 people were rescued and evacuation efforts were ongoing after the fire erupted on Sunday. The KM Barcelona 5 was headed to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, from Talaud, an island district in the province when it caught fire in waters near Talise, said Vice Admiral Denih Hendrata, commander of the Indonesian Fleet Command. In this photo made from video released by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency, a rescue ship approaches the ferry after it caught fire in the waters off Talise Island in North Sulawesi. (AP) He said three navy ships had been deployed, and 284 passengers and crew members had been evacuated so far. The rescue operation included assistance from local fishermen, who saved some survivors wearing life jackets as they were drifting to nearby islands in the choppy waters. Rescuers retrieved five bodies, including a pregnant woman. There were no immediate reports of injuries, and no exact figures of passengers and crew members onboard the ferry. 'We are still focusing on evacuation efforts,' Hendrata said, adding that the cause of the fire was being investigated. Photos and videos released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed terrified passengers, mostly wearing life jackets, jumping into the sea. Orange flames and black smoke billowed from the burning vessel. At least five people were killed in the tragedy. (AP) Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries are a common method of travel. Disasters occur regularly, with weak safety enforcement often blamed. Residents of Mentawai Islands found several people stranded on July 14 after a speedboat carrying 18 people capsized during a storm the day before, authorities said. All were in good condition. A ferry sank near Indonesia's resort island of Bali early this month, leaving at least 19 dead and 16 others missing. A two-week search operation involved more than 1,000 rescuers, three navy ships, 15 boats, a helicopter and divers. CONTACT US
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Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashes into school, killing at least 19
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9 News

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  • 9 News

Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashes into school, killing at least 19

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Terrified passengers leap into the sea to escape deadly ferry blaze
Terrified passengers leap into the sea to escape deadly ferry blaze

Sydney Morning Herald

time5 days ago

  • Sydney Morning Herald

Terrified passengers leap into the sea to escape deadly ferry blaze

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Terrified passengers leap into the sea to escape deadly ferry blaze
Terrified passengers leap into the sea to escape deadly ferry blaze

The Age

time5 days ago

  • The Age

Terrified passengers leap into the sea to escape deadly ferry blaze

Manado, Indonesia: Terrified passengers jumped into the sea from an Indonesian passenger ferry as flames leapt high and black smoke billowed from the burning vessel. Search crews said three people died and more than 560 were rescued. Authorities initially said five people were killed, but early on Monday the National Search and Rescue Agency revised it to three, after two passengers who'd initially been reported as dead were found safe in a hospital – including a two-month-old baby whose lungs had been filled with seawater. Photos and videos circulated on social media showed passengers – mostly wearing life jackets – jumping into the sea and being rescued. The KM Barcelona 5 caught fire on Sunday afternoon AEST while heading to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province. It was on its regular half-day journey from Melonguane port in Talaud Islands district in the same province, according to First Admiral Franky Pasuna Sihombing, chief of the Manado navy base. A coast guard ship, six rescue vessels and several inflatable boats were deployed in the rescue operation, Sihombing said. The crews pulled many people from the sea and took them to nearby islands. Local fishermen also saved some survivors wearing life jackets and drifting in the choppy waters.

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