Videos on social media show passengers jumping into the water from upper sections of the vessel
Credit: National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS)/Handout via REUTERS
NEED TO KNOW
- A ferry caught fire while traveling in Indonesia on Sunday, Aug. 2
- The incident left at least five people dead and dozens missing
- Videos on social media show passengers jumping into the water from upper sections of the vessel
At least five people have died in a ferry fire.
The Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry caught fire while traveling from East Java to South Sulawesi in Indonesia on Sunday, Aug. 2, according to the Associated Press.
There were 271 people on the vessel, 232 of whom were passengers and 39 of whom were crew members.
The incident left at least five people dead and dozens missing.
Credit: FRIDA PERKASA / AFP via Getty
Nearby vessels have rescued 225 passengers and crew and recovered the five bodies, leaving 41 people still unaccounted for.
The fire happened between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. local time near the coast of Java, the AP learned, citing Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency. About an hour later, the ferry operator reported the fire to the Surabaya search and rescue office.
Officials later lost contact with the operator.
Around 9:45 a.m., authorities received more information about the location of the ferry from a nearby cargo vessel that was unable to get closer because it was carrying a flammable load.
The agency, also known as Basarnas, released footage that shows smoke arising from one side of the ferry before spreading across the sky. Videos on social media show the vessel engulfed in smoke and passengers in life jackets jumping into the water from upper sections.
A tugboat and a passing vessel began evacuating passengers around 10 a.m., per Basarnas.
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As part of the rescue efforts, a vessel was dispatched from Surabaya. However, officials estimated it would take about six hours to arrive at the scene. The rescue team faced an additional setback when an inflatable boat was sent out but had to return due to turbulent waters.
The Indonesian Navy also deployed a warship to assist in the rescue, the AP reported.
The cause of the fire is currently unknown and an investigation is ongoing.
PEOPLE reached out to Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency on Sunday, Aug. 2, but didn’t immediately hear back.
According to Marine Traffic, the ferry is about 525 feet long and 82 feet wide.
Muhammad Masyhud of the Ministry of Transportation gave additional insight into the rescue in a statement obtained by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“The safety of passengers and crew is our top priority. We are continuously coordinating with all relevant parties to ensure that the evacuation process can proceed quickly, safely, and effectively,” he said.
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