5 dead after ferry catches fire off Indonesia's Sulawesi island; passengers jump for safety
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.
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Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Indonesia ferry fire kills 3, more than 500 rescued
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Passengers jumped overboard with life jackets after a fire broke out on July 20 at the stern of the KM Barcelona 5 as it sailed to Manado. – Three people died and more than 500 others were rescued after a ferry caught fire off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, emergency officials said on July 21. Passengers jumped overboard with life jackets after the fire broke out on July 20 at the stern of the KM Barcelona 5 as it sailed to Manado, according to the Indonesian Coast Guard. A video released by Manado's rescue agency showed a coast guard vessel spraying water on the ferry, which was emitting black smoke. The Indonesian authorities previously reported that five people died in the accident, but later revised the death toll to three. 'Until now, the joint rescue team is still conducting the search-and-rescue operation because the data is still developing,' Manado rescue agency head George Leo Mercy Randang said. 'Our post is still open 24 hours a day, in case families want to report about their missing relative.' At least 568 people were rescued from the ferry and water while three others were found dead, the National Search and Rescue Agency said in a statement on July 21. The ferry's log had only registered 280 passengers and 15 crew members on board. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Woman taken to hospital after car falls into sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore NDP 2025: How Benjamin Kheng is whisked from Marina Bay to Padang in 10 minutes by boat, buggy Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore From libraries to living rooms: How reading habits take root in underserved S'pore children Asia Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier as death toll rises Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar Local media reported that the ship had a capacity for 600 people. The incident happened just weeks after at least 19 people were killed when a ferry sank off the popular resort island of Bali . In the latest incident, fishermen helped evacuate the victims to nearby islands. Those injured were taken to the nearest health facility. The accident happened about an hour away from the resort town of Likupang, in the northern tip of Sulawesi, said Mr Randang. 'What is important is that we are prioritising rescue before nightfall,' Mr Randang told AFP news agency, without confirming the total number of people who were on board the ferry. Marine accidents are a regular occurrence in the South-east Asian archipelago of around 17,000 islands, in part due to lax safety standards or bad weather. The ferry sinking en route to Bali earlier in July was attributed to bad weather. In March, a boat carrying 16 people capsized in rough waters off Bali, killing an Australian woman and injuring at least one other person. In 2018, more than 150 people drowned when a ferry sank in one of the world's deepest lakes on Sumatra island. AFP
CNA
20-07-2025
- 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
20-07-2025
- 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.
