Pregnant woman is among at least five dead after ferry carrying hundreds of people bursts into flames in Indonesia - with frantic families seen leaping into the sea to escape
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.
But Manado SAR Office Public Relations Officer Nuriadin Gumeleng stated one tragic victim was a pregnant woman who had been referred from Talaud to Manado.
'Currently, only one person has been identified as having died, a pregnant woman. Her body is now on land,' Gumeleng told local news site Harian Jogja.
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.
Some passengers filmed the wreckage a distance away as they recounted the horrifying events
There were no immediate reports of injuries, and no exact figures of passengers and crew members onboard the ferry.
Striking footage of the incident shows the vessel entirely engulfed in bright orange flames as plumes of grey smoke tower above the wreckage.
A woman can be heard crying uncontrollably in a recording of the ruined ferry that shows a number of passengers in orange life vests forced to enter the sea as they sit on the edge of the vessel.
The camera then reveals several dozen people already in the water after swimming away from the boat.
Another video appears to show a toddler rescued from the sea by a man who relays his account of the horrifying events.
He is recorded filming the wreckage a distance away and clutching the young child in his arms who coughs as the man narrates.
In one chilling broadcast uploaded to Facebook a passenger named Abdul Rahmad Agu pleaded: 'We are burning at sea... we need help... fast...'.
Rescue operations are ongoing with emergency teams racing to account for all passengers.
A Manado KSOP officer named the three rescue ships dispatched to the scene as the KM Barcelona III, KM Venecian, and KM Cantika Lestari 9F.
The ferry was scheduled to dock at Manado Port when disaster struck, local outlet IDN Times reports.
Families of those onboard have been urged to stay calm and await official updates.
Just days earlier, at least 38 people died after tourist boat carrying 53 passengers capsized in Vietnam.
High winds struck Halong Bay, the Wonder Sea boat, and according to Vn Express, rescue crews recovered 37 bodies and saved 11 survivors - with five still unaccounted for.
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The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
What we know about the Indonesian ferry fire
Over 560 people were rescued, and three died after the KM Barcelona 5 passenger ferry caught fire off the coast of Indonesia 's North Sulawesi province on Sunday. The fire, which started in the stern, was extinguished within an hour, with rescue efforts involving coast guard ships, rescue vessels, and local fishermen. Photos and videos showed terrified passengers, mostly wearing life jackets, jumping into the sea as orange flames and black smoke billowed from the burning vessel. Authorities revised the death toll from five to three, confirming that a pregnant woman was among the deceased, while a two-month-old baby initially reported dead was saved. The incident highlighted common discrepancies in Indonesian ferry manifests, as 568 survivors were rescued despite the manifest listing only 280 passengers.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Pregnant woman is among at least five dead after ferry carrying hundreds of people bursts into flames in Indonesia - with frantic families seen leaping into the sea to escape
At lease five people, including a pregnant woman, have died after a ferry carrying hundreds of passengers burst into flames in Indonesia forcing terrified travellers to jump overboard into the 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. But Manado SAR Office Public Relations Officer Nuriadin Gumeleng stated one tragic victim was a pregnant woman who had been referred from Talaud to Manado. 'Currently, only one person has been identified as having died, a pregnant woman. Her body is now on land,' Gumeleng told local news site Harian Jogja. 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. Some passengers filmed the wreckage a distance away as they recounted the horrifying events There were no immediate reports of injuries, and no exact figures of passengers and crew members onboard the ferry. Striking footage of the incident shows the vessel entirely engulfed in bright orange flames as plumes of grey smoke tower above the wreckage. A woman can be heard crying uncontrollably in a recording of the ruined ferry that shows a number of passengers in orange life vests forced to enter the sea as they sit on the edge of the vessel. The camera then reveals several dozen people already in the water after swimming away from the boat. Another video appears to show a toddler rescued from the sea by a man who relays his account of the horrifying events. He is recorded filming the wreckage a distance away and clutching the young child in his arms who coughs as the man narrates. In one chilling broadcast uploaded to Facebook a passenger named Abdul Rahmad Agu pleaded: 'We are burning at sea... we need help... fast...'. Rescue operations are ongoing with emergency teams racing to account for all passengers. A Manado KSOP officer named the three rescue ships dispatched to the scene as the KM Barcelona III, KM Venecian, and KM Cantika Lestari 9F. The ferry was scheduled to dock at Manado Port when disaster struck, local outlet IDN Times reports. Families of those onboard have been urged to stay calm and await official updates. Just days earlier, at least 38 people died after tourist boat carrying 53 passengers capsized in Vietnam. High winds struck Halong Bay, the Wonder Sea boat, and according to Vn Express, rescue crews recovered 37 bodies and saved 11 survivors - with five still unaccounted for.
The Independent
3 days 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.
