Bali ferry fire: 211 rescued as blaze erupts in rough seas near Lombok

Rescuers saved 211 people and recovered the body of one passenger after a ferry caught fire in rough seas near the Indonesian tourist island of Bali on Wednesday, authorities said. The Putri Yasmin was travelling from Bali to the neighbouring island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara province when the blaze broke out at about 4.15 am.

The rescue operation was still under way on Wednesday afternoon as authorities worked to account for all passengers and crew. Initial reports said the ferry was carrying 131 people, including 17 crew members, based on the ship's manifest, but officials later said more people were on board than listed.

The ferry was also carrying 44 vehicles and 53 motorcycles. The Search and Rescue Office in Mataram, the capital of West Nusa Tenggara province, received an emergency report almost half an hour after the fire began and immediately sent personnel and rescue vessels. "Our top priority is the safety of all passengers and crew members," said Muhammad Hariyadi, who heads the Mataram Search and Rescue Office.

Videos released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed people wearing life jackets crowding onto an inflatable life raft in choppy waters as thick black smoke rose from the ferry. The agency said rescuers had evacuated 211 people from the burned vessel, including two Australian tourists, and recovered the body of a 19-year-old Indonesian woman.

Authorities did not immediately explain the gap between the initial passenger manifest and the higher number of people later reported rescued and evacuated. It is common in Indonesia for the number of passengers on a boat or ferry to differ from the manifest. "The response operation is ongoing, and authorities are continuing to account for all victims," said Syamsurizal, head of the Lembar Port Authority. He said at least two injured passengers were taken to a nearby hospital.

Syamsurizal, who like many Indonesians uses a single name, said investigators were trying to find the cause of the fire. He said survivors told authorities the blaze appeared to have started in a cargo truck before quickly spreading through the ferry. Hariyadi said the rescue effort involved six vessels, a helicopter, two inflatable boats and two private yachts, and that rough seas with waves as high as 4 metres had complicated operations.

The incident came less than two weeks after another Indonesian ferry, the Mutiara Sentosa 2, caught fire off the main island of Java, leaving at least five people dead. In Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries are widely used, such accidents occur regularly. Wednesday's fire left one person dead, at least two injured, and rescue teams still working to account for everyone on board.

With PTI Inputs

Rescuers saved 211 people and recovered the body of one passenger after a ferry caught fire in rough seas near the Indonesian tourist island of Bali on Wednesday, authorities said. The Putri Yasmin was travelling from Bali to the neighbouring island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara province when the blaze broke out at about 4.15 am.

The rescue operation was still under way on Wednesday afternoon as authorities worked to account for all passengers and crew. Initial reports said the ferry was carrying 131 people, including 17 crew members, based on the ship's manifest, but officials later said more people were on board than listed.

The ferry was also carrying 44 vehicles and 53 motorcycles. The Search and Rescue Office in Mataram, the capital of West Nusa Tenggara province, received an emergency report almost half an hour after the fire began and immediately sent personnel and rescue vessels. "Our top priority is the safety of all passengers and crew members," said Muhammad Hariyadi, who heads the Mataram Search and Rescue Office.

Videos released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed people wearing life jackets crowding onto an inflatable life raft in choppy waters as thick black smoke rose from the ferry. The agency said rescuers had evacuated 211 people from the burned vessel, including two Australian tourists, and recovered the body of a 19-year-old Indonesian woman.

Authorities did not immediately explain the gap between the initial passenger manifest and the higher number of people later reported rescued and evacuated. It is common in Indonesia for the number of passengers on a boat or ferry to differ from the manifest. "The response operation is ongoing, and authorities are continuing to account for all victims," said Syamsurizal, head of the Lembar Port Authority. He said at least two injured passengers were taken to a nearby hospital.

Syamsurizal, who like many Indonesians uses a single name, said investigators were trying to find the cause of the fire. He said survivors told authorities the blaze appeared to have started in a cargo truck before quickly spreading through the ferry. Hariyadi said the rescue effort involved six vessels, a helicopter, two inflatable boats and two private yachts, and that rough seas with waves as high as 4 metres had complicated operations.

The incident came less than two weeks after another Indonesian ferry, the Mutiara Sentosa 2, caught fire off the main island of Java, leaving at least five people dead. In Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries are widely used, such accidents occur regularly. Wednesday's fire left one person dead, at least two injured, and rescue teams still working to account for everyone on board.

With PTI Inputs