At least five people were killed and 41 others remain missing after a passenger ferry caught fire at sea off Indonesia's Madura island on Sunday, officials said, as rescuers scrambled to evacuate hundreds from the burning vessel.
The ferry, the Mutiara Sentosa 2, was traveling from Surabaya in East Java to Makassar in South Sulawesi carrying 232 passengers and 39 crew members when the fire broke out between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. local time in waters off Sumenep regency.
A total of 225 people were rescued, according to the regional Surabaya Search and Rescue Agency, with some passengers jumping into the sea and being picked up by a nearby ship. Four other vessels stood by near the ferry but could not approach because of the risk posed by flammable material onboard.
The ship's captain had called the ferry company to report the fire but had not been in contact since, Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) said.
Rescue teams dispatched a vessel from Surabaya, though officials estimated it would take about six hours to reach the scene, while a rigid inflatable boat sent from a nearby rescue post later turned back due to rough seas and high waves. The Indonesian Navy also deployed a warship to assist. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Ferry accidents are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where lax safety enforcement and unpredictable weather are frequently cited as contributing factors.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
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