Indonesian ferry fire: 280 passengers jump into sea after boat bursts into flames
At least five people are dead after a ferry carrying 280 people burst into flames off the coast of Indonesia forcing passengers to jump into the sea to escape the blaze.
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An Indonesian ferry fire killed at least five people on Sunday, the country’s coast guard said, while more than 200 others were saved with many jumping overboard to flee the huge blaze.
The KM Barcelona 5 ferry was engulfed in flames off the coast of Sulawesi island, Indonesia’s Maritime Security Agency said, just weeks after at least 19 people were killed when a ferry sank off the popular resort island of Bali.
Rescuers retrieved five bodies, including a pregnant woman.
“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.
Video of passengers jumping into the sea with children and a baby surfaced on social media.
One survivor filmed himself clinging to a screaming baby as panicked passengers jumped from the ferry into the sea.
The survivor, Abdul Rahmad Agu, captured the heart-stopping scenes in real-time through a Facebook livestream.
Wearing an orange life vest, Mr Agu can be heard appealing for help: “Help, the KM Barcelona V is on fire. There are still many people on board.
“We are burning at sea … we need help … fast…,” he yelled as he filmed the burning vessel behind him.
Clinging to a baby, he could be heard trying to calm other passengers who also jumped overboard.
The livestream lasted for around 28 minutes, meaning people waited in the water for at least half an hour before they were rescued.
The cause of the fire is currently unknown.
The fire broke out at the ferry’s stern as it was on its way to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, with some passengers jumping overboard with life jackets, the statement said.
Fishermen also helped evacuate the victims to nearby islands, the statement added. Those injured were taken to the nearest health facility, Bakamla added.
The accident happened about one 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 a Bakamla vessel spraying water on the ferry, which was still emitting thin black smoke.
“What is important is that we are prioritising rescue before nightfall,” George told AFP, without confirming the total number of people who were on board the ferry.
Neither he nor Bakamla gave a cause for the fire.
Marine accidents are a regular occurrence in the Southeast Asian archipelago of around 17,000 islands, in part due to lax safety standards or bad weather.
A week ago, Indonesian rescuers scaled down a search for 17 people still missing after a ferry sank near Bali earlier this month.
The ferry, KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya, was carrying 65 people when it sank almost 30 minutes after leaving East Java province’s Banyuwangi port to Bali on July 3.
The ferry sinking en route to Bali this month was attributed to bad weather.
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.
This is a developing story.
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Originally published as Indonesian ferry fire: 280 passengers jump into sea after boat bursts into flames
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