Three dead, two missing, after ferry catches fire in Indonesia's North Sulawesi

Asia News Network

22-07-2025

July 22, 2025
JAKARTA – At least three people were killed and two others remain missing after the KMP Barcelona V ferry caught fire on Sunday in the waters off Talise Island, North Minahasa Regency, North Sulawesi, marking the latest in a series of marine-related incidents in recent weeks.
The KMP Barcelona V departed Melonguane Port in the Talaud Islands Regency, North Sulawesi, in the early hours of Sunday on a routine voyage to the provincial capital Manado. The trip, which covers approximately 271 kilometers, typically takes around 14 hours.
At approximately 2:00 p.m., however, a fire broke out onboard as the vessel was navigating near Talise Island, roughly 60 kilometers from its destination.
Flames and thick smoke quickly engulfed the upper decks, forcing many passengers to jump into the sea.
Videos circulating on social media showed dozens of passengers wearing life jackets, panicking as they floated near the vessel. Some were seen sitting along the edge of the burning ship, while others leapt into the water to escape the blaze.
Local fisherfolk in the area rushed to the scene to assist in the evacuation. Meanwhile, a joint rescue team, comprised of personnel from the local search and rescue agency, ship operators and the military, immediately deployed six ships to aid in the rescue efforts.
North Sulawesi Governor Yulius Selvanus reported that the fire likely originated inside a passenger cabin on the upper deck while most passengers were having lunch.
'We received information that the fire first appeared in room number 33, but further investigation is still underway,' he said on Monday.
At least three people have been confirmed dead. According to reports, the victims were patients traveling to mainland Sulawesi for medical treatment, and one of them was a pregnant woman.
Authorities initially reported five fatalities but later revised the death toll to three.
Search efforts are still underway for two missing passengers, identified as Levi Aiba and Hamen Langinana, who were reported missing by their families.
An official manifest listed 15 crew members and 280 passengers aboard the vessel. However, authorities later stated that the actual number of people onboard was 580.
It remains unclear whether the ferry was operating beyond its maximum capacity at the time of the incident, though some media outlets have reported that the vessel is capable of carrying up to 600 passengers.
Director General of Sea Transportation at the Transportation Ministry, Muhammad Masyhud, stated that the victims' remains have been transported to Bhayangkara Hospital in Manado, while survivors have been taken to various medical facilities across the city.
'Our priority at the moment is to ensure that all passengers receive adequate medical treatment,' he said on Monday, as reported by Antaranews.
Masyhud also confirmed that authorities from the Bitung Sea and Shipping Surveillance Office (PLP Bitung) have successfully extinguished the fire onboard. The vessel remains afloat at the incident site and is currently under close monitoring by PLP Bitung.
The KMP Barcelona V accident occurred less than a month after the sinking of the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya ferry in the Bali Strait on July 2, which resulted in at least 19 fatalities and left 10 people missing.
A preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) found that the likely cause of the Tunu Pratama Jaya's sinking was the crew's failure to close the engine room door before setting out to sea.
Investigators had questioned surviving crew and passengers and discovered that seawater first entered the ferry through an open engine room door located on the lower deck. The hatch to the engine room should always remain closed while the ship is sailing.
Last week, a speedboat carrying 18 passengers capsized in the waters of Mentawai Islands Regency, West Sumatra, after encountering bad weather. All passengers onboard, which included a local councilor and civil servants, managed to swim to safety.
The boat was operating over its maximum capacity at the time of the accident. Additionally, the vessel was not equipped with a radio and lacked a sailing permit from the authorities, despite setting off in poor weather conditions.
These incidents have reignited public calls for stricter safety regulations for vessels in the country, which has one of the world's poorest maritime safety records.
According to the Allianz Safety and Shipping Review 2025, Indonesia ranks highly among countries with the highest number of ship losses globally.