A fire aboard an Indonesian ferry off the coast of Sulawesi has left three people dead and more than 500 others rescued, emergency officials confirmed on Monday.
The blaze broke out aboard the KM Barcelona 5 on Sunday as it sailed from Melonguane port in the Talaud Islands toward Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province. “Until now, the joint rescue team is still conducting the search and rescue operation because the data is still developing,” said George Leo Mercy Randang, head of the Manado rescue agency. “Our post is still open 24 hours a day, in case families want to report about their missing relative.”
Terrified passengers were seen jumping overboard, many wearing life jackets, as flames and thick black smoke engulfed the upper deck.
Videos posted to social media showed the chaos as the fire quickly spread. “The air was full of smoke and everyone started panicking,” said survivor Johan Rumewo. “I managed to grab a life jacket and jumped into the sea. I floated for about an hour before being rescued.”
Initially, officials reported five fatalities, but the number was revised to three after two survivors including a two-month-old baby were found alive and treated in hospital.
The national search and rescue agency confirmed that at least 568 people were rescued. The ferry’s manifest had listed only 280 passengers and 15 crew, despite having a capacity for 600, raising concerns about possible overloading.
Franky Pasuna Sihombing, chief of the Manado navy base, said a large-scale rescue operation was launched involving a coastguard vessel, six rescue boats, and several inflatables.
Preliminary investigations suggest the fire originated on the upper deck. No cause has been officially confirmed.
Marine accidents are tragically common in Indonesia’s sprawling archipelago of 17,000 islands, often due to poor enforcement of safety regulations or unpredictable weather. The latest incident follows a series of deadly maritime disasters in the country, including a ferry that sank near Bali in June, killing 19 people, and a 2018 tragedy in Sumatra that claimed over 150 lives.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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