Passengers rescued as second ferry in days catches fire in Indonesia
Marine accidents are a regular occurrence in Indonesia -- an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands that relies heavily on boat connections.
Indonesia faces frequent marine accidents due to lax safety standards and unpredictable weather, a harsh reality in the archipelago of over 17,000 islands that heavily depends on boat connections. On Wednesday, a passenger ferry caught fire off Bali, prompting the navy and other ships to rush to the scene in the second such incident in just days.
No immediate reports of casualties were made, with at least 114 people on board according to the ship's manifest. Muhamad Hariyadi, head of the search and rescue agency on Lombok, confirmed that passengers were evacuated on at least three vessels, including a navy ship and another ferry. Search and rescue vessels and a helicopter were deployed at the scene.
As of now, no passengers remain on board, according to Hariyadi. Last week, five people died when a ferry caught fire off Java island, highlighting the ongoing risks faced by Indonesians at sea.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
