Dramatic rescue at sea: ferry with nearly 200 passengers on board caught fire in Indonesia

Indonesian rescue teams successfully evacuated the passengers and crew who were on board a ferry, where it was recorded a big fire, the emergency service reported.

The flames started around 7.15 am local time (22.15 GMT Friday) when the ship, which was covering the route between Ternate and Sanana, it was located about nine kilometers northwest of the island of Lifamatola, in the central region of the Indonesian archipelago.

The Director Ternate of the Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNA), Muhammad Arafah, indicates that all the people survived the incident and are already on dry land after a sea and air operation.

In the images published by the agency you can see dozens of people in life jackets jumping into the water from the boat, who carried 181 passengers – including 22 children – and 14 crew members, to get on life rafts, while the flames consumed the stern.

Emergency crews are now studying how to move the wreckage of the ship, which has not yet sunk, to the nearest port.

Authorities were still investigating the cause of the incident. Survivors said that the fire apparently started in the engine room approximately 15 minutes after the ship leaves.

These types of accidents are common in Indonesia, the largest archipelago in the world with more than 17,000 islands. Many of these episodes are attributed to poor regulation of boat services.

The fire recalled that a little over a month ago the Indonesian authorities confirmed that the submarine which had disappeared off Bali with 53 people on board had been wrecked, after having found the remains of the ‘gear.

The Navy estimated the crew had oxygen to survive 72 hours in the event of a power failure and that period ended on April 24, making it unlikely that there would be any survivors.

In addition, in the area where the submarine wrecked, an oil slick was detected, which suggests that the tank broke, i.e. there was a technical problem. in the device.

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