On Wednesday, Aug. 12, a ferry caught fire near the Indonesian island of Bali. As of Wednesday afternoon, rescuers evacuated 211 passengers. The body of one passenger was also pulled from the fiery ferry.
According to AP News, the fire broke out at around 4:15 am. Almost 30 minutes later, an emergency report went out to the Search and Rescue Office in Mataram, which immediately sent out rescuers and specialized vehicles.
CBS News writes that two Australian tourists were among those pulled from the ferry. The victim was a 19-year-old Indonesian woman.
According to AP News, there may have been a discrepancy between the ship’s manifest and the actual passengers, as initial reports claimed the ferry had 131 people onboard, among them 17 crew members. Rescuers, however, soon found that even more people were in need of aid.
Rescuers Rush To Save Over 200 People
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The Putri Yasmin had been heading from Bali to Lombok, transporting hundreds of passengers, 44 vehicles, and 53 motorcycles, according to AP News.
Footage released by the National Search and Rescue Agency shows turbulent waters further compounding the difficulty of the rescue operation.
The video shows passengers wearing life jackets. They can be seen gathering onto an inflatable raft as the waves slosh around them.
Muhammad Hariyadi, head of the Mataram Search and Rescue Office, formally announced, “We have approached the ship and confirmed that all passengers are no longer on board.”
Past And Future
The ferry’s manifest mismatching the actual passenger count is coming under scrutiny, although AP News writes that such an occurrence is not uncommon.
However, Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi assured, “The findings will be thoroughly reviewed as part of the ministry’s evaluation,” adding, “This is a serious issue that will be thoroughly investigated.”
This is not, however, a first-of-its-kind incident. In late July, AP News reported on a passenger ferry catching fire just off the island of Sulawesi. Hundreds had been on board, and at least five people were left dead, at least one of them a pregnant woman.
AP News notes that ferries are a common transportation method between the thousands of islands that make up Indonesia, and the outlet writes that inadequate safety enforcement often receives the blame.