Indonesia ferry fire: KM Barcelona on the coast of Indonesia killed at least five people and injured by dozens. Passengers had to jump into the sea to avoid the fire. About 130 passengers are still missing and the search and rescue operations are on. There were about 300 people in this boat.
When did the accident happen?
The accident occurred at around 1 pm as the ship was traveling in the seawater area near Manado. It is being told that the fire spread so fast that some passengers could not get out of the ship in time and were hit. Local authorities and rescue teams immediately started the rescue operation. Water police and Navy teams reached the spot and managed to evacuate several passengers. However, due to the intensity of the fire and the smoke rising inside the ship, relief work faced heavy problems.
According to the information received so far, the death toll is five, while many people have been injured by scorching, who have been admitted to the nearest hospitals.
Ministry ordered an inquiry into the accident
The Indonesian Ministry of Transport has ordered an inquiry into the accident. According to preliminary reports, the cause of the fire may be technical fault or short circuit, but the authorities are investigating all aspects.
A sailor, who was fishing near the spot, said, “We suddenly saw smoke rising from the ship and in a few minutes the flames reached the sky. People panicked and started jumping from the ship. It was a very frightening scene.”
The incident has once again questioned Indonesia’s sea traffic security system. Significantly, there have been many such incidents in the country in the past, in which dozens of people have lost their lives.
Expressing condolences to the families of the deceased, Indonesia’s Transport Minister said that strict action would be taken against the culprits and all safety standards would be reviewed to protect against such incidents in future.
Video went viral on social media
The atmosphere of chaos can be seen in the video on social media when a fierce fire and dense black smoke spread in the boat. In a video, scared passengers are seen jumping into the sea, screaming and pleading for help.
Another video features passengers preparing to jump from the ship, wearing a life ring and bright orange life jacket. A surviving person also showed himself a child after escaping from the burning boat.
