Social media footage captures passengers leaping into the sea as a ferry catches fire off Sulawesi Island in Indonesia, causing panic and chaos.
The KM Barcelona 5 ferry was en route from Melonguane port in Talaud Islands district to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, when it caught fire on Sunday, according to the Indonesian coastguard.
Photographs and videos circulated on social media depicted distressed passengers – most wearing life jackets – leaping into the sea, where they were surrounded by raging flames and billowing black smoke from the burning ferry.
A video from the Manado rescue agency showed a coastguard vessel spraying water onto the ferry, which was engulfed in black smoke at the time.
Initially, authorities had reported five fatalities, however, this figure was adjusted to three after two passengers initially considered among the dead were found alive in a hospital, including a two-month-old infant whose lungs were filled with seawater.
According to the national search and rescue agency, at least 568 people have been rescued from the ill-fated ferry.
The rescue operation involved a coastguard ship, six rescue vessels, and multiple inflatable boats, as stated by Franky Pasuna Sihombing, chief of the Manado navy base, in his communication with The Associated Press.
Officials believe that the fire originated on the upper deck of the ferry.
“The joint rescue team is still ongoing with the search and rescue operations as the data is continuously being updated,” said George Leo Mercy Randang, head of the Manado rescue agency, in an interview with the AFP news agency. “Our post remains open 24 hours a day for families to report any missing relatives.”
A survivor recounted waking up to a cabin filled with smoke.
“The air was filled with smoke, causing widespread panic among everyone,” reported Johan Rumewo to Kompas TV after being evacuated to Manado port. “I managed to grab a life jacket and jump into the sea. I floated for about an hour before being rescued.”
The ferry’s log listed only 280 passengers and 15 crew members on board, while local media reported that the ship had a capacity for 600 individuals.
Marine accidents are common in the archipelago of Indonesia, partly due to lax safety standards and adverse weather conditions.
This incident occurred shortly after another ferry sank off the resort island of Bali due to bad weather in July, resulting in the deaths of at least 19 people.
In March, a boat carrying 16 people capsized in rough waters off Bali, leading to the death of an Australian woman and injuries to another person. In 2018, over 150 individuals drowned when a ferry sank in one of the world’s deepest lakes on Sumatra Island.
