Ferry Fire Near Bali: 172 Rescued, Bodies Recovered
JAKARTA, Indonesia – A ferry caught fire in turbulent waters near Bali on Wednesday, prompting a rescue operation that saved 172 people and recovered some bodies, officials reported.
The fire started around 4:15 a.m. while the Putri Yasmin ferry was traveling from Padangbai port in Bali to Lembaru port on Lombok island, located in West Nusa Tenggara province, according to the local search and rescue agency in Mataram.
Emergency crews received a distress call about half an hour later and quickly mobilized personnel and a rescue boat.
According to Muhammad Hariyadi, head of the Mataram search and rescue office, “Our top priority is the safety of all passengers and crew.”
Initially, it was reported that 131 people, including 17 crew members, were aboard when the fire erupted in the Lombok Strait. However, later updates indicated the actual passenger count was higher than the manifest; it’s not uncommon for discrepancies to occur in Indonesia regarding the number of passengers on boats.
The ferry was also transporting 44 vehicles and 53 motorcycles.
Rescue teams managed to evacuate 172 individuals, among them two Australian tourists, and the body of a 19-year-old Indonesian girl was recovered, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) confirmed.
At least two injured passengers were taken to a hospital, as reported by Lembar Port Authority Director General Shamsurizar. “Response operations are ongoing, and authorities are working to account for all victims,” Shamsurizar noted.
Hariyadi mentioned that the rescue efforts were assisted by Indonesian naval vessels, patrol boats, and helicopters conducting aerial surveys, though rough seas with waves reaching 4 meters (about 13 feet) complicated the operation.
This incident comes shortly after another ferry, the Mutiara Sentosa 2, caught fire off the coast of Java, leading to at least five fatalities. In Indonesia—an archipelago with over 17,000 islands—ferries are a popular means of transport, but accidents do occur frequently, often attributed to inadequate safety measures.
