Vessel catches fire off Indonesia's North Sulawesi province as passengers jump for safety
"According to initial information, the fire is located (off of) Talise island," Jerry Harmonsina, secretary of the North Sulawesi Regional Disaster Management Agency, told Detik.
There has been no confirmation of the number of casualties, but Jerry told Detik that the fire broke out on the vessel on Sunday afternoon.
Local media reported that the vessel – KM Barcelona 5 – was ferrying 280 passengers and was scheduled to dock at Manado Port.
Jerry further said that a search and rescue team has been deployed to the location to carry out evacuations, while local fishermen are also assisting in rescue efforts.
"The evacuation is currently underway, involving various units from the Navy, the National Search and Rescue Agency, the Coast Guard (as well as) assistance from local fishermen in the surrounding area," Jerry added.
Videos of the vessel fire went viral on TikTok, with some reportedly taken by passengers who had jumped aboard for safety.
Thick plumes of black smoke could be seen in the background as passengers floated in the water. In another clip posted on Tiktok by user Soalunsrat, passengers on the vessel were seen hurriedly putting on life vests even as others were seen panicking and attempting to make calls on their mobile phones.
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