Indonesian ferry from Bali catches fire, leaving one dead, 172 rescued
Crews rescued 172 people and recovered the body of a passenger from a ferry that caught fire in rough seas Wednesday near the Indonesian tourist island of Bali, authorities said.
A fire broke out on the Putri Yasmin ferry about 4:15 a.m. on its way from Padang Bai in Bali to Lembar in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara Province. Rescuers received the emergency report almost half an hour later and immediately sent personnel and rescue vessels. The ferry was carrying 131 people, including 17 crew members, when the fire started, but officials later found that more passengers were aboard.
The vessel was also transporting 44 vehicles and 53 motorcycles. Rescuers managed to evacuate 172 people, including two Australian tourists, and recovered a 19-year-old Indonesian girl's body. Two injured passengers were taken to a nearby hospital. The response operation, supported by Indonesian navy ships, patrol boats, rescue vessels, and a helicopter, is still ongoing.
The rough seas with waves up to 4 meters in height complicated the rescue efforts. This incident occurred less than two weeks after another Indonesian ferry, the Mutiara Sentosa 2, caught fire off the Java main island, leaving at least five people dead. Strong safety enforcement is lacking in Indonesia, often blamed for such disasters.
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