At least five people died and 41 were missing after a ferry caught fire off Indonesia's Madura island, the country's search and rescue agency said on Sunday.
Local media reported that the ferry was carrying about 250 passengers and crew when it caught fire, prompting a large-scale rescue operation involving several vessels.
The Mutiara Sentosa 2 had departed a port in Surabaya, and was heading for Makassar, when the ship's captain reported the blaze several hours into the voyage.
“The ship caught fire north of the Sapudi Islands. Initial information indicates there were 250 people on board,” Nanang Sigit, head of the Surabaya Search and Rescue Office, said.
Videos showed thick black smoke rising from the vessel as rescue operations continued.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Authorities said passengers and cargo were being transferred to rescue vessels. As of 11.20am local time, about 40 people remained on board the ferry while evacuation efforts continued.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation said the safety of passengers and crew was the top priority and that it was co-ordinating with all relevant agencies to ensure the evacuation was carried out quickly and safely.
Ferries are a popular mode of transport in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, and accidents are common as poor safety standards often allow vessels to be overloaded without adequate life-saving equipment.
