Indonesian passenger ferry catches fire at sea, killing at least 5
The KM Barcelona 5 was headed to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, from Talaud, an island district in the province when it caught fire in waters near Talise, said Vice Adm. Denih Hendrata, commander of the Indonesian Fleet Command.
He said that three navy ships had been deployed, and 284 passengers and crew members had been evacuated so far. The rescue operation included assistance from local fishermen, who saved some survivors wearing life jackets as they were drifting to nearby islands in the choppy waters.
Rescuers retrieved five bodies, including a pregnant woman.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, and no exact figures of passengers and crew members onboard the ferry.
'We are still focusing on evacuation efforts,' Hendrata said, adding that the cause of the fire was being investigated.
Photos and videos released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed terrified passengers, mostly wearing life jackets, jumping into the sea. Orange flames and black smoke billowed from the burning vessel.
Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries are a common method of travel. Disasters occur regularly, with weak safety enforcement often blamed.
Residents of Mentawai Islands found several people stranded on July 14 after a speedboat carrying 18 people capsized during a storm the day before, authorities said. All were in good condition.
A ferry sank near Indonesia's resort island of Bali early this month, leaving at least 19 dead and 16 others missing. A two-week search operation involved more than 1,000 rescuers, three navy ships, 15 boats, a helicopter and divers.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
The wreckage of a Montana plane crash is found using a victim's smart watch location
WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. (AP) — Search teams located the site of an airplane crash that killed three people near Yellowstone National Park using the last known location of the smart watch from one of the victims, authorities said Monday. The single-engine Piper PA-28 aircraft left Montana's West Yellowstone Airport just before midnight on Thursday, according to Federal Aviation Administration records released Monday. When the aircraft could not be located, two search planes were dispatched to look for it in the vicinity of the last known location of the watch, the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office said. The search planes found the downed aircraft about a half-hour later in dense timber just south of the town of West Yellowstone. All three occupants were deceased. The victims were identified by the sheriff's office as Robert Conover, 60, of Tennessee; Madison Conover, 23, also of Tennessee; and Kurt Enoch Robey, 55, of Utah. The cause of the crash was not immediately known. It was under investigation by the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board.
Toronto Star
6 hours ago
- Toronto Star
A pilot made sharp turn to avoid a B-52 bomber over North Dakota, then took to the mic to explain
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The pilot of a regional airliner flying over North Dakota carried out an unexpected sharp turn and later apologized to passengers, explaining that he made the move after spotting a military plane in his flight path. The Friday incident is detailed in a video taken by a passenger and posted to social media as Delta Flight 3788 approached the Minot International Airport for landing. In the video, the SkyWest pilot can be heard over the plane's intercom system explaining that he made the sharp turn after spotting a B-52 bomber in his flight path.
Toronto Sun
9 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Over 5.2 million pools sold across U.S. and Canada recalled after reports of nine deaths
Published Jul 21, 2025 • 1 minute read In this undated image provided by the CPSC, a child uses the compression strap to stand on above-ground pool. Photo by CPSC via AP / AP NEW YORK — More than 5.2 million aboveground swimming pools sold across the U.S. and Canada over the last two decades are being recalled after nine drowning deaths were reported. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The recall covers a range of Bestway, Intex Recreation and Polygroup pools that were sold by major retailers as far back as 2002. According to Monday notices published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, these pools have compression straps running along the outside of the product — which 'may create a foothold' for small children and allow them to access the water unattended. That can pose a serious drowning risk, the safety regulatory warn. To date, the CPSC believes nine children across the U.S. have drowned after gaining access to these now-recalled pools in this way. Those deaths occurred between 2007 and 2022, involving children between the ages of 22 months and 3 years old. No additional fatalities have been reported in Canada. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Consumers in possession of these pools are urged to immediately contact Bestway, Intex and/or Polygroup to receive a free repair kit — which will consist of a rope to replace the compression strap. Owners of these pools should otherwise ensure that small children cannot access the pool without supervision, regulators note — and could alternatively drain the pool until the repair is made. All of the pools being recalled are 48 inches or taller _ and can be identified by brand and model names listed on both the CPSC and Health Canada's recall notices. Sales of the pools ranged by model and location, but date as far back to 2002 and as recently as 2025. About 5 million of these now-recalled pools were sold across the U.S. — including both online and in-stores at major retailers like Walmart, Target, Lowe's, Costco and Amazon. Another 266,000 were sold in Canada. Uncategorized Toronto & GTA Editorial Cartoons Columnists Canada
