Passengers rescued as second ferry in days catches fire in Indonesia

The National Times - Passengers rescued as second ferry in days catches fire in Indonesia

Passengers rescued as second ferry in days catches fire in Indonesia / Photo: © Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS)/AFP

A navy vessel and other ships rushed in Tuesday to rescue over 100 people from a ferry on fire off the tourist island of Bali, officials said, in the second such incident in days.

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There were no immediate reports of casualties among the passengers and crew, with at least 114 people on board, according to the manifest.

The passenger ferry had been sailing from Bali to the next-door island of Lombok when it caught fire in the early morning hours.

Muhamad Hariyadi, head of the search and rescue agency at Mataram on Lombok island, said the total number of passengers on board was being verified.

He said passengers were evacuated on at least three different vessels, including a navy ship and another ferry.

Search and rescue vessels were at the scene and a helicopter was conducting surveillance from the air.

"As of now, we have not received any report of casualties," Hariyadi told Metro TV.

"We have approached the ship and confirmed that all passengers are no longer on board," he added. "We visually see no passengers on the ship."

Last week, five people died when a ferry caught fire off Java island.

Marine accidents are a regular occurrence in Indonesia -- an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands that rely heavily on boat connections.

Lax safety standards and unpredictable weather are the main reasons for the disasters.

A ferry transporting more than 70 people sank while sailing near Selayar, a small island south of Sulawesi, last month.

Four bodies were recovered, but the search operation ended with 14 others still officially missing.

P.Sinclair--TNT

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The National Times - Passengers rescued as second ferry in days catches fire in Indonesia