Rescuers in Indonesia hunt for missing passenger after 274 rescued from ferry fire
- Dramatic footage from Indonesia’s search and rescue agency showed the vessel engulfed in smoke as passengers in life vests leapt to safety
- Initial reports suggest the fire may have started in the engine room, just 15 minutes after the ferry had departed from Ternate in North Maluku
Passenger ferry KM Karya Indah was travelling in a remote part of the Indonesian archipelago, from Ternate in the province of North Maluku towards Sanana on the island of Sulabes, when the fire broke out early on Saturday morning.
Dramatic footage from Indonesia’s search and rescue agency showed the vessel engulfed in smoke and part of the ship ablaze as passengers in life vests jumped from the deck to lifeboats.
Passengers and crew clung to floating objects as they struggled in the choppy water, while the raging fire on the ferry sent up clouds of black smoke.
“There were 275 people on board, 274 had been evacuated safely,” Muhammad Arafah, the head of the local search and rescue team told Kompas TV Sunday. “One person, a 43-year-old man, is still being searched for.
“The search is still continuing. Today’s search and rescue plan [will be conducted] by a joint search and rescue team.”
Initial reports suggest the fire may have started in the engine room. Indonesian officials said they are investigating the cause of the incident.