Another Indonesian ferry catches fire, passengers rescued

A passenger ferry caught fire off the tourist island of Bali in Indonesia, prompting a swift response from the navy and other ships to rescue over 100 people, according to officials. No immediate reports of casualties have been made, with at least 114 people on board, as confirmed by the ship's manifest. The ferry had been sailing from Bali to Lombok when the incident occurred in the early morning hours.

Muhamad Hariyadi, head of the search and rescue agency in Mataram on Lombok island, stated that the passenger count is being verified. Passengers were safely evacuated using at least three different vessels, including a navy ship and another ferry. Search and rescue vessels were present at the scene, with a helicopter conducting aerial surveillance.

As of now, there have been no reports of casualties, and the Navy confirmed that all passengers are off the ship. Last week, a ferry fire off Java island resulted in five deaths, highlighting the prevalence of marine accidents in Indonesia. Lax safety standards and unpredictable weather are cited as primary causes of such disasters in the archipelago nation, which spans more than 17,000 islands and heavily relies on boat connections.

In a separate incident last month, a ferry with over 70 people sank near Selayar, an island south of Sulawesi, resulting in the recovery of four bodies, while 14 others remain officially missing.