Indonesian passenger ferry catches fire at sea, killing at least 5
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 Adm. Denih Hendrata, commander of the Indonesian Fleet Command.
He said that 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.
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.
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Associated Press
19 minutes ago
- Associated Press
568 people survived after an Indonesian passenger ferry caught fire at sea, killing 3
MANADO, Indonesia (AP) — 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. ___ Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Indonesia coast guard responds to fatal ship fire, reports say
STORY: :: North Sulawesi Basarnas :: Five people were killed in a blaze aboard a ship off the coast of Indonesia's Sulawesi, local media report :: July 20, 2025 Video showed smoke billowing from the ship and rescuers recovering a body. The cause of the fire remains unknown, local media reported.
5 hours ago
Indonesian passenger ferry catches fire at sea, killing at least 5
MANADO, Indonesia -- A passenger ferry carrying hundreds of people caught fire at sea on Sunday off Sulawesi island in Indonesia, killing at least five people, officials said. More than 280 people were rescued and evacuation efforts were ongoing. 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 Adm. Denih Hendrata, commander of the Indonesian Fleet Command. He said that 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. 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.
