Picture Credit: AP
At least five people were killed, and 41 others remained missing after the Mutiara Santosa 2 caught fire in the Java Sea north of Madura Island in Indonesia’s East Java province, the National Search and Rescue Agency said on Sunday.
According to the agency, 225 people have been evacuated so far.
The vessel, operating on the Surabaya–Makassar route, was carrying 271 people, including 232 passengers and 39 crew members.
The ferry departed from Surabaya in East Java for Makassar on Sulawesi Island on Sunday morning, according to the Surabaya Search and Rescue Office.
Authorities said the vessel was about 19 nautical miles (35.2 km) offshore when it was almost completely engulfed in flames.
Passengers gathered on the bridge and at the bow as they awaited evacuation.
Several nearby vessels joined the rescue efforts. A joint search and rescue team also deployed additional boats and personnel to evacuate survivors and search for the missing.
The search and rescue operation remains underway, while authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.
The latest incident comes weeks after another maritime tragedy in Indonesia.
In June, search and rescue authorities suspended operations after the KM Nurul Salsa passenger boat sank off South Sulawesi province. At the time, 14 people remained missing.
According to the National Search and Rescue Agency, the operation was temporarily halted after a 10-day search produced no new leads despite extensive efforts.
Of the 76 people on board, 58 were rescued, four were found dead, and 14 remained missing.
The agency said search efforts would resume if new information emerged about the missing victims.
The vessel had sunk after suffering engine failure in waters off South Sulawesi on July 15 while travelling from Jampea Island to Benteng.
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