JAKARTA: At least five people died and more than 280 were rescued after a fire tore through a passenger ferry off the coast of Sulawesi island, Indonesian authorities said Sunday.
The KM Barcelona 5 caught fire en route to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province. The blaze broke out at the stern, forcing many to jump overboard in life jackets. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
Indonesia’s Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) said 284 people were safely evacuated, with help from local fishermen who ferried survivors to nearby islands. Two of the five deceased victims remain unidentified.
The incident occurred roughly an hour from the resort town of Likupang, according to Manado search and rescue agency head George Leo Mercy Randang. A video from the scene showed rescue vessels dousing the ferry with water as smoke continued to rise from its hull.
“We’re racing against nightfall to prioritise rescue,” George told AFP, declining to confirm the total number of people onboard.
The tragedy comes just weeks after 19 people were killed in another ferry sinking near Bali. Indonesia, an archipelago of around 17,000 islands, sees frequent maritime accidents, often blamed on poor enforcement of safety standards and severe weather.
In March, an Australian tourist died when a small boat capsized off Bali. In 2018, more than 150 people drowned in Lake Toba, one of the world’s deepest volcanic lakes, after a ferry sank. – AFP
