Ferry Catches Fire Between Indonesia's Bali and Lombok, 1 Dead and 172 Rescued

A fire broke out on a passenger ferry operating between Indonesia's Bali and Lombok islands, and while more than 170 people were rescued, authorities are struggling to determine the number of missing persons because the exact manifest count remains unconfirmed.

According to Indonesian media outlets including Kompas TV, the fire broke out at around 4:20 a.m. local time on the 12th aboard the passenger ferry Putri Yasmin while it was operating in waters near Lombok Island in West Nusa Tenggara province.

The fire left one Indonesian dead, while 172 others, including passengers and crew, were rescued by nearby ferries and naval vessels.

Among the 172 survivors, one was confirmed to be an Australian national, while the rest were all Indonesians.

According to the investigation, the passenger manifest recorded a total of 131 people on board, consisting of 114 passengers and 17 crew members.

Additionally, 44 vehicles and 53 motorcycles were loaded onto the vessel.

However, the combined total of the deceased and survivors exceeds the manifest count by 42 people, leading to estimates that the vessel was operating over capacity.

Indonesian rescue authorities have not yet been able to ascertain the exact number of missing people and are continuing search operations around the waters near the accident site.

However, search efforts are facing difficulties due to high waves reaching 4 meters in the accident zone.

At the time of the accident, the ferry was heading from Padang Bai Port in the popular tourist destination of Bali to Lembar Port on nearby Lombok Island, and the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

Ten days ago on the 2nd, another passenger ferry fire occurred in waters near Madura Island in East Java province, resulting in 5 deaths and 233 rescues.

At that time as well, the Indonesian government and rescue authorities experienced confusion as they failed to accurately track the number of passengers on board.

In Indonesia, an archipelago consisting of 17,000 islands, ships are utilized as a primary mode of transportation alongside aircraft. However, due to lax safety regulations, it is common for the actual number of passengers to differ from the manifest, and maritime accidents caused by adverse weather or fires occur frequently.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.