One dead, more than 200 rescued after Indonesian ferry from Bali catches fire
The incident took place less than a month after another ferry caught fire off Madura island, killing five people.
JAKARTA – Indonesian authorities rescued more than 200 people following a ferry fire off the island of Lombok on Wednesday, according to officials. As the search continued for any missing passengers, one Indonesian had been confirmed dead among the 212 evacuees, said Muhammad Hariyadi, head of the local rescue agency. The majority of evacuees were Indonesian nationals, with one Australian.
The KM Putri Yasmin ferry had departed from Bali's Padangbai port for Lembar port, according to Hariyadi. The cause of the fire or whether overcrowding played a role remained unclear. This incident occurred less than a month after another ferry fire off Madura island killed five people. The KM Mutiara Sentosa 2 was carrying more passengers than its manifest indicated.
Hariyadi stated that over 200 personnel were deployed to manage the evacuation operation. The incident took place in the Lombok Strait at 4:39 a.m. on Wednesday. Earlier, an official at Padangbai port in Bali stated that only 114 passengers and 17 crew were registered in the ferry's manifest. With its vast archipelago of 17,000 islands, Indonesia heavily relies on ferries as a primary mode of transportation, as sea routes are more affordable and accessible than air travel.
However, safety standards are not always strictly enforced, leading to a relatively high accident rate.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
