568 People Survived After Indonesian Passenger Ferry Caught Fire at Sea
Manado. 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.
The search and rescue operation was continuing, though there were no immediate reports of people still missing. Authorities previously said five people had died, but the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) 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.
The capacity of the ferry is 600 people.
A speedboat carrying 18 people capsized during a storm on July 14, and all its occupants were 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.
Tags: Keywords:Related Articles
Basarnas Ends 10-Day Search for Missing Ferry Passengers, 14 Still Unaccounted For
Indonesia suspended its search for 14 people missing after a ferry sank off South Sulawesi, leaving four confirmed dead.The Latest
Prabowo Says South Korea's Lee Asked Indonesia to Help Open Dialogue With North Korea
President Prabowo Subianto says South Korea's Lee Jae Myung asked Indonesia to help open dialogue with North Korea.Pullman Hotel Fire in Jakarta Suspected to Stem From Electrical Fault
Police will deploy a forensic team to investigate a fire at Pullman Hotel in West Jakarta, with an electrical fault suspected as the cause.Pertamina Slashes Prices of Three Fuels From Aug. 1
Pertamina cut prices for three non-subsidized fuels from Aug. 1.Trump Too Stubborn to Rejoin Paris Agreement: Indonesian Minister
Indonesia's Environment Minister Jumhur Hidayat says other countries should deal with Trump quitting the Paris Accord.Indofood Sales Rise 9% as Rupiah Weakness Hits First-Half Profit
Indofood’s first-half sales rose 9%, but net profit fell 19% as rupiah weakness increased unrealized foreign-exchange losses.Most Popular
