Tourist ferry catches fire in Indonesia, 172 people rescued (video)

Tourist ferry catches fire in Indonesia, 172 rescued (video)

Indonesian authorities rescued 172 people from a burning ferry near the island of Bali on August 12. According to Deutsche Welle, at least one person, a 19-year-old woman, died in the incident.

The fire broke out on a ferry traveling on the Padang Bay-Lembar route between Bali and Lombok, a route that is also actively used by tourists.

**Rescue information**

According to initial information from the head of the Mataram search and rescue department, Muhammad Hariyadi, all passengers had been evacuated. He said: "We approached the ship and confirmed that all passengers had left the ship. No one was seen on board the ship."

However, Hariyadi soon told reporters that one woman had died. According to a list provided by the Padang Bay port, the ferry was estimated to have 114 passengers and 17 crew members. However, the total number of rescued and dead was much higher than the estimated 131.

**How did the fire start?**

The fire on the Putri Yasmin ferry started at 04:15 local time. The ship was sailing from Padang Bay port in Bali to Lembar port in Lombok. The rescue service received the emergency call half an hour later and immediately sent rescue boats and personnel to the scene.

According to the survivor, Kiki Okta Pradika, 25, she grabbed a life jacket and jumped into the water with other passengers. “It took several hours before help arrived,” she said.

Muhammad Hariyadi said strong waves of up to 4 meters were observed at sea. This situation made rescue operations difficult. Another nearby ferry rescued 30 passengers and took them to Bali. A search and rescue ship headed to the port of Lembar with 59 passengers. Another 17 passengers were rescued by a naval ship.

This is the second major ferry fire in Indonesia this month. On August 2, a ferry with 271 people on board burned at sea. Five people died and 41 are missing.