Passengers jump for their lives as fire engulfs Indonesian ferry
Some 200 passengers were rescued from the water after the KMII Barcelona ship caught fire off the coast of Sulawesi Island at around 1.30pm local time on Sunday.
The ship was around an hour away from the resort town of Likupang.
A pregnant woman was among the five people killed, the country's coast guard said.
Footage of the blaze shows smoke pouring out of the vessel, while coastguard boats and fishermen wait to rescue the surviving passengers.
In another video, Abdul Rahmad Agu, a survivor of the incident, shows himself clinging onto a small child in the sea while other passengers jump from the burning ship into the water wearing lifejackets. In the background, it is clear that many of the surviving passengers are distressed as they await help.
Vice-Adm Denih Hendrata, the commander of the Indonesian Fleet Command, said three navy ships had been deployed to aid rescue efforts, and 284 passengers and crew members had been evacuated so far.
The ferry was travelling from the Talaud Islands to Manado City when it caught fire.
Vice-Adm Hendrata said the navy is 'still focusing on evacuation efforts' and that the cause of the fire was being investigated.
The rescue operation was aided by local fishermen and residents, who helped evacuate the survivors to nearby islands.
George Leo Mercy Randang, the head of the Manado search and rescue agency, told AFP: 'We are prioritising rescue before nightfall.'
Those injured were taken to the nearest health facility, according to Bakamla, Indonesia's Maritime Security Agency.
The total number of passengers and crew members on the ferry is not known, and there are no immediate reports of injuries.
Ferries are a common way to travel in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands. Marine accidents are frequent, attributed to poor safety standards and bad weather.
Last month, at least 19 people were killed and 16 people are missing after a ferry sank off Bali, the Indonesian resort island. A two-week search operation involved over 1,000 rescuers, three navy ships and 15 boats.
In 2018, over 150 people died when a ferry sank in a lake on Sumatra Island.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Indonesian ferry fire kills 3 people as more than 500 rescued from sea
Indonesian rescuers evacuating people from a passenger ferry that caught fire at sea said Monday more than 560 were rescued and three died. The KM Barcelona 5 caught fire around midday on Sunday while heading to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, on its regular half-day journey from Melonguane port in Talaud Islands district in the same province, according to 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, Mr Sihombing said. The crews pulled many people from the sea and took them to nearby islands, and local fishermen also saved some survivors wearing life jackets as they were drifting in the choppy waters. Photos and videos circulated on social media showed terrified passengers, mostly wearing life jackets, jumping into the sea as orange flames and black smoke billowed from the burning vessel. The search and rescue operation was continuing, though were no immediate reports of people still missing. Authorities previously said five people had died, but the National Search and Rescue Agency revised it to three early Monday after two passengers initially reported as dead were saved in a hospital, including a two-month-old baby whose lungs were filled with seawater. The fire that began in the ferry's stern was extinguished within an hour, Mr Sihombing said. The ferry's manifest initially registered only 280 passengers and 15 crew members but the national rescue agency confirmed 568 survivors had been rescued and three bodies recovered, including a pregnant woman. It is common for the number of passengers on a boat or ferry to differ from the manifest in Indonesia. This discrepancy can contribute to accidents and can complicate search and rescue efforts, Mr Sihombing said. The capacity of the ferry is 600 people. 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. A speedboat carrying 18 people capsized during a storm on 14 July, and all its occupants were found rescued by the next day. Earlier in the month, a ferry sank near Indonesia's resort island of Bali, leaving at least 19 dead and 16 others missing. A two-week search operation involved more than 600 rescuers, three navy ships, 15 boats, a helicopter and divers.
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
568 people survived after an Indonesian passenger ferry caught fire at sea, killing 3
Indonesian rescuers evacuating people from a passenger ferry that caught fire at sea said Monday more than 560 were rescued and three died. The KM Barcelona 5 caught fire around midday Sunday while heading to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, on its regular half-day journey from Melonguane port in Talaud Islands district in the same province, according to First Adm. 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, and local fishermen also saved some survivors wearing life jackets as they were drifting in the choppy waters. Photos and videos circulated on social media showed terrified passengers, mostly wearing life jackets, jumping into the sea as orange flames and black smoke billowed from the burning vessel. There were no immediate reports of injuries and people still missing. Authorities previously said five people had died, but the National Search and Rescue Agency revised it to three early Monday after two passengers initially reported as dead were saved in a hospital, including a 2-month-old baby whose lungs were filled with seawater. The fire that began in the ferry's stern was extinguished within an hour, Sihombing said. The ferry's manifest initially registered only 280 passengers and 15 crew members but the national rescue agency confirmed 568 survivors had been rescued and three bodies recovered, including a pregnant woman. It is common for the number of passengers on a boat or ferry to differ from the manifest in Indonesia. This discrepancy can contribute to accidents and can complicate search and rescue efforts, Sihombing said. 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. A speedboat carrying 18 people capsized during a storm July 14, and all its occupants were found rescued by the next day. Earlier in the month, a ferry sank near Indonesia's resort island of Bali, leaving at least 19 dead and 16 others missing. A two-week search operation involved more than 600 rescuers, three navy ships, 15 boats, a helicopter and divers. ___
Rhyl Journal
8 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
At least five dead after Indonesian passenger ferry catches fire at sea
More than 280 people were rescued and evacuation efforts were ongoing following the incident 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, Vice Admiral Denih Hendrata, commander of the Indonesian Fleet Command, said. The senior officer said that three navy ships had been deployed, and 284 passengers and crew members had so far been evacuated. 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,' Vice Admiral 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. 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. Meanwhile, 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.
