Monday 21 / July / 2025
An Indonesian passenger ferry fire killed at least five people and injured hundreds more on Sunday, the country's coast guard said. More than 280 others were saved, with many jumping overboard to flee the inferno.
The KM Barcelona 5 was en route to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, from Talaud — an island district in the province — when it caught fire in waters near Talise, the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency said.
The incident occurred 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.
Pregnant woman among deceased
Rescuers retrieved five bodies, including a pregnant woman but there were no immediate details on other injuries, and no exact figures of passengers and crew members on board the ferry.
Photos and videos released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed terrified passengers, mostly wearing life jackets, jumping into the sea as flames and black smoke billowed from the burning vessel.
The fire broke out at the ferry's stern, forcing some passengers jump overboard with life jackets, the Bakamla statement added.
Fishermen aided rescue operation
Several fishermen also helped evacuate the victims to nearby islands, according to the statement. The injured were taken to the nearest health facility.
Marine incidents occur frequently in the Southeast Asian archipelago of around 17,000 islands, in part due to questionable safety standards or bad weather.
The ferry sinking en route to Bali earlier in July was attributed to bad weather while 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.
