Three dead after passenger ship catches fire in Indonesian waters
The KM Barcelona ferry caught fire Sunday morning off Gangga, a small island off the coast of North Sulawesi province, the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency said in a statement.
The ship was carrying 280 passengers, according to the agency, which said the number of evacuees was still being recorded. "Search and medical efforts are ongoing for the remaining victims," it said.
"We have deployed several maritime SAR units and rescue teams to swiftly respond to this incident," an Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency official said.
"A central command post for search-and-rescue operations has been established at Manado Port."
Footage of the incident published on social media by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency shows the boat engulfed in flames, spewing smoke into the air, as dozens of people wearing life preservers float in the ocean, waiting to be rescued.
Officials said favorable weather was aiding evacuation operations, but they remained on high alert due to the threat posed by the potential risk of an explosion from residual fuel.
The cause of the fire was unknown.
The incident comes just weeks after at least five people were killed when a passenger ferry sank in bad weather off the coast of Indonesia's Bali earlier this month.
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