Ferry fire off Lombok leaves one dead, 172 rescued

Indonesian rescue teams have evacuated 172 people after a passenger ferry travelling from Bali to Lombok caught fire in the Lombok Strait early Wednesday.

JAKARTA: Indonesian rescue teams have evacuated 172 people after a passenger ferry travelling from Bali to Lombok caught fire in the Lombok Strait early Wednesday.

Officials said one Indonesian passenger was confirmed dead as rescue crews continued searching the surrounding waters for anyone who may still be missing.

The KM Putri Yasmin was sailing from Padangbai port in Bali towards Lembar port in West Nusa Tenggara when the incident occurred. Local rescue authorities said the ferry caught fire at around 4:39am local time.

Muhammad Hariyadi, head of the local rescue agency, said emergency teams immediately launched an evacuation operation after receiving information about the incident.

Several rescue boats were sent to the area to assist passengers and coordinate with other vessels operating near the ferry. More than 200 personnel were reportedly involved in the rescue effort.

Most of those rescued were Indonesian nationals, while one Australian citizen was also among the survivors. The evacuees were transported to ports in Bali and Lombok for further assistance.

Authorities have not yet determined what caused the fire. Officials were also investigating whether the ferry may have been carrying more people than officially registered.

An official at Padangbai port, Heri Wiyanto, said the vessel’s manifest listed 114 passengers and 17 crew members. The discrepancy between the registered figures and the number of people rescued has raised questions about passenger safety and possible overcrowding.

The incident comes less than a month after another ferry accident in Indonesian waters. The KM Mutiara Sentosa 2 caught fire off Madura island, killing five people. That vessel was also reportedly carrying more passengers than listed on its official manifest.

Indonesia depends heavily on ferries because its thousands of islands are separated by extensive stretches of sea. Ferry services are widely used by residents and tourists because they are generally more accessible and affordable than air travel.

However, a series of maritime accidents has repeatedly raised concerns about safety enforcement, passenger capacity and emergency preparedness in the country’s ferry industry.

Rescue officials said the search operation would continue as authorities work to establish the full number of people who were aboard the vessel and determine how the fire began.