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Malay Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Malay Mail
Indonesian ferry fire results in five deaths, over 200 rescued near Sulawesi (VIDEO)
JAKARTA, July 21 — An Indonesian ferry fire killed at least five people on Sunday, the country's coast guard said, while more than 200 others were saved with many jumping overboard to flee the huge blaze. The KM Barcelona 5 ferry was engulfed in flames off the coast of Sulawesi island, Indonesia's Maritime Security Agency said, 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. Fishermen also helped evacuate the victims to nearby islands, the statement added. 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. Marine accidents are a regular occurrence in the Southeast Asian archipelago of around 17,000 islands, in part due to lax safety standards or bad weather. The ferry sinking en route to Bali this month 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
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Passengers jump for their lives as fire engulfs Indonesian ferry
At least five people have died after a fire broke out on a ferry in Indonesia. Some 200 passengers were rescued from the water after the KMII Barcelona ship caught fire off the coast of Sulawesi Island at around 1.30pm local time on Sunday. A pregnant woman was among those killed, the country's coast guard said. Footage of the blaze showed smoke pouring out of the vessel, while coastguard boats and fishermen waited to rescue passengers still on board. In another video, Abdul Rahmad Agu, a survivor of the incident, showed himself clinging onto a small child in the sea while other passengers wearing lifejackets jumped from the burning ship into the water. In the background, it is clear that many of the surviving passengers are distressed as they await help. Vice-Adm Denih Hendrata, the commander of the Indonesian Fleet Command, said three navy ships had been deployed to aid rescue efforts, and 284 passengers and crew members had been evacuated so far. The ferry was travelling from the Talaud Islands to Manado City and was about an hour away from the resort town of Likupang when it caught fire. Vice-Adm Hendrata said the navy was 'still focusing on evacuation efforts' and that the cause of the fire was being investigated. The rescue operation was aided by local fishermen and residents, who helped evacuate the survivors to nearby islands. George Leo Mercy Randang, the head of the Manado search and rescue agency, told AFP: 'We are prioritising rescue before nightfall.' Those injured were taken to the nearest health facility, according to Bakamla, Indonesia's Maritime Security Agency. The total number of passengers and crew members on the ferry is not known, and there are no immediate reports of injuries. Ferries are a common way to travel in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands. Marine accidents are frequent, attributed to poor safety standards and bad weather. Last month, at least 19 people were killed and 16 people are missing after a ferry sank off Bali, the Indonesian resort island. A two-week search operation involved over 1,000 rescuers, three navy ships and 15 boats. In 2018, over 150 people died when a ferry sank in a lake on Sumatra Island. Solve the daily Crossword
Telegraph
2 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Passengers jump for their lives as fire engulfs Indonesian ferry
At least five people died from a ferry fire in Indonesia, while other passengers were forced to jump off the ship to escape the flames. Some 200 passengers were rescued from the water after the KMII Barcelona ship caught fire off the coast of Sulawesi Island at around 1.30pm local time on Sunday. The ship was around an hour away from the resort town of Likupang. A pregnant woman was among the five people killed, the country's coast guard said. Footage of the blaze shows smoke pouring out of the vessel, while coastguard boats and fishermen wait to rescue the surviving passengers. In another video, Abdul Rahmad Agu, a survivor of the incident, shows himself clinging onto a small child in the sea while other passengers jump from the burning ship into the water wearing lifejackets. In the background, it is clear that many of the surviving passengers are distressed as they await help. Vice-Adm Denih Hendrata, the commander of the Indonesian Fleet Command, said three navy ships had been deployed to aid rescue efforts, and 284 passengers and crew members had been evacuated so far. The ferry was travelling from the Talaud Islands to Manado City when it caught fire. Vice-Adm Hendrata said the navy is 'still focusing on evacuation efforts' and that the cause of the fire was being investigated. The rescue operation was aided by local fishermen and residents, who helped evacuate the survivors to nearby islands. George Leo Mercy Randang, the head of the Manado search and rescue agency, told AFP: 'We are prioritising rescue before nightfall.' Those injured were taken to the nearest health facility, according to Bakamla, Indonesia's Maritime Security Agency. The total number of passengers and crew members on the ferry is not known, and there are no immediate reports of injuries. Ferries are a common way to travel in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands. Marine accidents are frequent, attributed to poor safety standards and bad weather. Last month, at least 19 people were killed and 16 people are missing after a ferry sank off Bali, the Indonesian resort island. A two-week search operation involved over 1,000 rescuers, three navy ships and 15 boats. In 2018, over 150 people died when a ferry sank in a lake on Sumatra Island.
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Khaleej Times
Video: Passengers jump overboard as ferry catches fire in Indonesia; at least 5 killed
An Indonesian ferry fire killed at least five people on Sunday, the country's coast guard said, while more than 200 others were saved with many jumping overboard to flee the huge blaze. The KM Barcelona 5 ferry was engulfed in flames off the coast of Sulawesi island, Indonesia's Maritime Security Agency said, 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. Fishermen also helped evacuate the victims to nearby islands, the statement added. 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. Marine accidents are a regular occurrence in the Southeast Asian archipelago of around 17,000 islands, in part due to lax safety standards or bad weather. The ferry sinking en route to Bali this month 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.
