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Straits Times
4 days ago
- General
- 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
The Star
21-07-2025
- General
- The Star
Hundreds escape inferno at sea
Dire situation: A rescue ship approaching the 'KM Barcelona 5' in the waters off Talise Island in North Sulawesi. — AP Three people died and more than 500 others were rescued after a ferry caught fire off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, emergency officials said. Passengers jumped overboard with lifejackets after the fire broke out on Sunday at the stern of the KM Barcelona 5, as it sailed to Manado, according to the Indonesian coast guard. A video released by the Manado rescue agency showed a coast guard vessel spraying water on the ferry, which was emitting black smoke. Indonesian authorities previously reported 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 yesterday. '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 yesterday. The ferry's log had only registered 280 passengers and 15 crew on board. Local media reported that the ship had a capacity for 600 people. Marine accidents are a regular occurrence in the archipelago of around 17,000 islands, in part due to lax safety standards or bad weather. Sunday's fire came just weeks after another ferry sank off the popular resort island of Bali due to bad weather, killing at least 19 people. In March, a boat carrying 16 people capsized in rough waters off Bali, killing an Australian woman and injuring at least one other person. And in 2018, more than 150 people drowned when a ferry sank in one of the world's deepest lakes on Sumatra Island. — AFP
The Independent
21-07-2025
- General
- 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
21-07-2025
- General
- 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.
New York Post
21-07-2025
- General
- New York Post
Ship carrying hundreds catches fire in Indonesia as frightened passengers were seen jumping into ocean to escape deadly blaze
A passenger ship carrying hundreds of people caught fire in Indonesia on Sunday — as terrified passengers were filmed jumping into the ocean and desperately treading water as the vessel burned. At least three people, including a pregnant woman, were killed and two others were still missing after the KM Barcelona V-A caught fire while hauling 575 passengers from Melonguane to Manado around midday Sunday, authorities said. Harrowing video shot by sobbing passengers in the water captured scores of people, mostly wearing life jackets, plunging into the water as flames engulfed the vessel and huge plumes of smoke billowed into the sky. Advertisement 4 The KM Barcelona V-A caught fire around midday Sunday while making its regular half-day journey between two ports in North Sulawesi province, from Melonguane to Manado. 4 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. William Edson Apena via Storyful 4 This screen grab taken from video released by Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) and the Indonesian Coast Guard shows the KM Barcelona 5 ferry after a fire broke out while on its way to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province. INDONESIA'S NATIONAL SEARCH AND RESCUE AGENCY (BASARNAS)/INDONESIAN COAST GUARD/AFP via Getty Images Advertisement One video captured a man trying to stay afloat as he cradled a small child, while another showed a woman screaming as fellow passengers bobbed in the water nearby. Rescue crews and local fishermen scrambled to pull survivors — including a two-month-old baby — from the choppy waters. 4 Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire that began in the ferry's stern and was extinguished within an hour, Sihombing said. Kantor sar Manado via Storyful Advertisement Authorities are still probing the cause of the fire, which began in the ferry's stern. The blaze took an hour to extinguish, local authorities said. With Post wires
