At least five killed after fire breaks out on Indonesian passenger ferry; 284 people evacuated safely

A fire broke out on an Indonesian ferry carrying hundreds of people on Sunday (July 20), killing at least five people. According to the officials, more than 200 were rescued, as many people jumped overboard to flee the huge blaze. Indonesia’s Maritime Security Agency said that the KM Barcelona 5 ferry was engulfed in flames off the coast of Sulawesi island. This comes weeks after at least 19 people were killed after 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 said in a statement.

The passenger ferry was on its way to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, when the fire broke out. According to the statement, some passengers jumped overboard with life jackets. Fishermen also helped evacuate the passengers to nearby islands. The injured were taken to the nearest health facility, it added.

The incident happened when the ferry was about an 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 the ferry emitting black smoke as a Bakamla vessel sprayed water on it. “What is important is that we are prioritising rescue before nightfall,” George said. He did not confirm the total number of people aboard the ferry. The authorities did not say what was the cause of the incident.

Earlier this month, a boat carrying 53 passengers and 12 crew members sank en route to tourist island of Bali from Banyuwangi on the eastern coast of Java island, killing at least six. Dozens others were also missing in the incident, which happened at the time of bad weather conditions.