Social media users shared images and videos of frightened passengers, most of whom were wearing life jackets, plunging into the ocean while black smoke and orange flames rose from the flaming ship.
Although there were no immediate indications of anyone remaining missing, the search and rescue effort was still underway. The National Search and Rescue Agency changed the initial death toll from five to three early Monday when two passengers, including a 2-month-old infant whose lungs were filled with seawater, were saved in a hospital.
According to Sihombing, the fire that started in the ferry’s stern was put out after an hour. Only 280 passengers and 15 crew members were listed on the ferry’s manifest at first, but the national rescue organization reported that 568 survivors and three bodies—including one of a pregnant woman—had been found.
In Indonesia, it is typical for a boat or ferry’s actual passenger count to deviate from its manifest. According to Sihombing, this disparity may exacerbate search and rescue operations and lead to accidents.
The ferry can accommodate 600 passengers.
Ferries are a popular way to go around the more than 17,000 islands that make up the Indonesian archipelago. Regular disasters are frequently attributed to lax safety enforcement.
On July 14, a speedboat carrying eighteen people wrecked during a storm; by the next day, all of the passengers had been recovered. At least 19 people were killed and 16 more were reported missing when a ferry sank near Bali, a popular tourist destination in Indonesia, earlier this month. Over 600 rescuers, three navy ships, fifteen boats, a helicopter, and divers participated in the two-week search and rescue mission.
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This article was written by Niniek Karmini of the Associated Press in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Thanks to AP
Thanks to AP
