A passenger ferry caught fire off Indonesia's Bali island on Wednesday, resulting in one death and the rescue of over 170 people in the second such maritime incident within days.
A ferry traveling between Bali and Lombok caught fire on Wednesday morning, claiming the life of a 19-year-old Indonesian woman and prompting a coordinated rescue operation that saved 172 passengers and crew members. According to search and rescue official Muhamad Hariyadi, multiple vessels including a navy ship and another ferry responded to the emergency in the early hours, evacuating those aboard across at least three different boats. Among those rescued were two Australian tourists.
Eyewitnesses described harrowing moments aboard the burning vessel. Survivor Kiky Okta Pradika, 25, recounted how he secured a life jacket before jumping overboard alongside other passengers, noting that assistance took several hours to arrive. One body was confirmed brought ashore at Lembar on Lombok's west coast, though authorities reported no initial information on additional injuries or missing persons.
The incident marks the second major ferry fire in Indonesia within days. A similar fire claimed five lives near Java island the previous week, underscoring ongoing maritime safety concerns in the archipelago. Indonesia's reliance on boat transportation across its more than 17,000 islands regularly exposes passengers to risks, with experts attributing accidents to inconsistent safety standards and unpredictable weather conditions. The country experienced another tragedy last month when a ferry carrying over 70 people sank near Selayar island, resulting in four confirmed deaths and 14 people still listed as missing.
