Five dead, 41 missing, after Indonesia ferry catches fire

Indonesia experienced a tragic incident when an overloaded ferry caught fire at sea, resulting in five deaths and 41 people reported missing. The vessel, which was transporting at least 250 individuals, was en route from Surabaya in East Java to Makassar in South Sulawesi. Captain of the ship alerted authorities about the fire while the ferry was sailing off the coast of Madura island.

Rescue operations were initiated immediately, as footage circulated on local Indonesian news outlets depicted numerous people wearing life jackets, clinging to lifeboats and rescue ships. Other visual evidence showed passengers descending from the burning ferry, some holding onto the vessel's bridge and bow, while awaiting assistance.

The National Search and Rescue Agency, Basarnas, confirmed the incident at 08:24 local time (02:24 GMT). According to Basarnas, the fire was first observed between 06:00 and 07:00 GMT. Later, they reported that the ferry was "almost entirely engulfed in flames," as passengers remained on the ship's bridge and bow, awaiting rescue.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, according to Basarnas' statement. It was observed that some people jumped into the sea, with lifebuoys being thrown to them before they were pulled aboard rescue ships.