Indonesian passenger ferry catches fire at sea, killing at least 5

A rider ferry carrying hundreds of radical caught occurrence astatine oversea connected Sunday (July 20, 2025) disconnected Sulawesi land successful Indonesia, sidesplitting astatine slightest 5 people, officials said. More than 280 radical were rescued and evacuation efforts were ongoing.

The KM Barcelona 5 was headed to Manado, the superior of North Sulawesi province, from Talaud, an land territory successful the province, erstwhile it caught occurrence successful waters adjacent Talise, said Vice Adm. Denih Hendrata, commandant of the Indonesian Fleet Command.

He said that 3 navy ships had been deployed, and 284 passengers and unit members had been evacuated truthful far. The rescue cognition included assistance from section fishermen, who saved immoderate survivors wearing beingness jackets arsenic they were drifting to adjacent islands successful the choppy waters.

Rescuers retrieved 5 bodies, including a large woman. There were nary contiguous reports of injuries, and nary nonstop figures of passengers and unit members onboard the ferry.

“We are inactive focusing connected evacuation efforts,” Mr. Hendrata said, adding that the origin of the occurrence was being investigated.

Photos and videos released by the National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) showed terrified passengers, mostly wearing beingness jackets, jumping into the sea. Orange flames and achromatic fume billowed from the burning vessel.

Indonesia is an archipelago of much than 17,000 islands wherever ferries are a communal method of travel. Disasters hap regularly, with anemic information enforcement often blamed.

Residents of the Mentawai Islands recovered respective radical stranded connected July 14 aft a speedboat carrying 18 radical capsized during a tempest the time before, authorities said. All were successful bully condition.

A ferry sank adjacent Indonesia’s edifice land of Bali aboriginal this month, leaving astatine slightest 19 dormant and 16 others missing. A two-week hunt cognition progressive much than 1,000 rescuers, 3 navy ships, 15 boats, a chopper and divers.