Indonesia ferry catches fire at sea; no casualties

Jakarta, May 29

A ferry in eastern Indonesia caught fire early Saturday with nearly 200 people on board, forcing passengers and crew to jump into the sea but causing no casualties, officials said.

The ferry KM Karya Indah was headed for Sanana, a port on the remote island of Limafatola, said Wisnu Wardana, a spokesperson for the sea transportation directorate general. 

The fire broke out 15 minutes after the vessel departed Ternate, the provincial capital of North Maluku province, at around 7 am local time. 

Phone video of the incident provided by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed passengers and crew clinging to floating objects as they struggled in the choppy water, while the raging fire on the ferry sent up clouds of black smoke.

Wardana said all 181 passengers, including 22 children, and 14 crew members were rescued and safely evacuated to a nearby island. 

He said the agency’s rescue operation also involved local fishing boats that happened to be in the vicinity.

He said authorities were still investigating the cause of the incident, as survivors told authorities that the fire originated in the engine room.

Ferry accidents are common in Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago nation with more than 17,000 islands. Many accidents are blamed on the lax regulation of boat services. — AP