Jakarta: At least three people died in a fire in a passenger ship near Talis Island in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The ship named KM Barcelona VA was going to Manado port on Sunday with about 280 passengers. The fire was so terrible that some passengers jumped into the sea to escape its flames. At the same time, many other passengers are feared to be trapped in the ship. A video of this incident is being shared on social media, in which high flames of fire can be seen from the ship.
Three people died
"Three people died and about 150 people were rescued. They were rescued by a combined team of rescuers and local fishing boats," Wery Ariyanto, a senior official at the provincial search and rescue office, told Xinhua. Thick black smoke was seen rising from the upper deck of the ferry. According to reports, the fire broke out at around 1:30 pm (local time).
Passengers jump into water to escape fire
A passenger named Abdul Rahmad Agu captured the horrific scene via a Facebook livestream. He was among several passengers who jumped into the water, some of whom were wearing bright orange life jackets. Agu was seen floating with a baby in his arms.
Investigation into cause of fire begins
In initial reports, Manado search and rescue office chief George Leo Mercy Randang said: "More details will be given later. We hope to rescue all passengers first." Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire. Electrical failure, fuel leakage or engine failure are some of the possible causes. Another passenger, Alvina Inang, said she and her family had to jump into the sea because of the panic that ensued when the fire broke out.
Fire spread from the rear of the boat
"It happened very fast. At around 12:00 am, someone shouted that there was a fire in the rear of the ship, and we immediately panicked," Alvina Alvina, wife of Christian M, traffic chief of the Talaud Island police, was quoted as saying by Antara News. The KM Barcelona V ship had left Talaud Island and was scheduled to dock at Manado Port. Its delayed departure due to a storm the previous day has raised questions about possible mechanical or operational problems.
