Indonesian search and rescue authorities evacuated more than 130 people from the Putri Yasmin ferry after it caught fire early Wednesday morning while traveling from Padang Bai port in Bali to Lembar port on the island of Lombok, according to the Mataram Search and Rescue Office.
More than 130 rescued from burning ferry between Bali and Lombok
Indonesian search and rescue authorities evacuated more than 130 people from the Putri Yasmin ferry after it caught fire early Wednesday morning while traveling from Padang Bai port in Bali to Lembar port on the island of Lombok, according to the Mataram Search and Rescue Office.
The fire broke out at approximately 4:15 a.m. local time (1045 GMT), with the search and rescue agency receiving an emergency report roughly 30 minutes later before deploying rescue vessels and personnel.
Muhammad Hariyadi, head of the Mataram Search and Rescue Office, told Metro TV that all passengers had been rescued and there were no immediate reports of casualties. 'We have approached the ship and confirmed that all passengers are no longer on board,' he said. 'We visually see no passengers on the ship.'
Hariyadi initially stated the ferry was carrying 114 passengers and 17 crew members, based on passenger manifest data from Padang Bai's port authority, though he later said the total number of passengers was still being verified. The vessel also carried 44 vehicles and 53 motorcycles.
Rescue efforts were complicated by rough seas with waves reaching up to 4 meters (13 feet), according to Hariyadi. A nearby ferry evacuated 30 passengers and transported them to Bali, a search and rescue vessel headed to Lembar port with 59 rescued passengers, and a naval vessel picked up an additional 17 passengers.
The Padang Bai-Lembar ferry route is used by tourists traveling between Bali and Lombok, two popular destinations.
This is the second major ferry fire in Indonesia this month. Last week, five people died in a ferry fire off the coast of Java Island. Last month, a ferry carrying more than 70 people sank near Seayar Island; four bodies were recovered and 14 people remained officially missing when the rescue operation was closed. In July of last year, a ferry sank while traveling between Java and Bali, killing nearly 20 people.
Marine accidents are described as a regular occurrence in Indonesia, where ferries serve as a common mode of transport.
Where sources differ
- The initial passenger count differs: CBS News cited the ship's manifest as listing 131 people including 17 crew, while Deutsche Welle reported Hariyadi referenced a manifest figure of 114 passengers and 17 crew.
- The total number rescued differs: CBS News states 172 people were evacuated, while Deutsche Welle's earlier reporting cited 'over 130' rescued.
- Deutsche Welle quoted Hariyadi as initially saying all passengers had been rescued with no immediate reports of casualties, a characterisation inconsistent with the confirmed fatality reported by CBS News — suggesting Deutsche Welle's quote reflected an earlier stage of the rescue before the body was recovered.
- The cause of the fire has not been established.
- The final verified total number of passengers and crew has not been confirmed.
- The condition or fate of the vessel after evacuation is not reported.
- No statement from ferry operator or port authority is included.
- CBS News — original
- Deutsche Welle — by Mahima Kapoor