Ferry with 280 passengers catches fire in Indonesia

Tengrinews.kz – A ferry carrying 280 passengers caught fire off the coast of Manado, in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province, Xinhua reports.

The incident occurred aboard the KM Barcelona 5 while the vessel was in the waters near Manado. According to a senior official from the regional search and rescue agency, at least three people have been confirmed dead, while around 150 others have been rescued.

“Three people were killed, and nearly 150 have been safely evacuated by joint rescue teams and local fishermen’s boats,” the official told Xinhua.

Search and rescue operations are still ongoing, with two ships, several rigid inflatable boats, and other watercraft deployed in the effort to locate missing passengers.