Rescuers evacuate more than 200 from a ferry fire that left at least 1 dead near Bali

Videos released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed people wearing life jackets crowding an inflatable life raft in choppy waters during a rescue operation at sea, as thick black smoke billows from the ferry.

The rescue agency said that as of Wednesday afternoon, rescuers evacuated 211 people from the burned vessel, including 2 Australian tourists, and recovered the body of a 19-year-old Indonesian woman.

Initial reports had said the ferry was carrying 131 people, including 17 crew members, based on the ship’s manifest.

However, hours after the incident, officials said more people were aboard than listed. It is common in Indonesia for the number of passengers on a boat or ferry to differ from the manifest.

Authorities did not immediately account for the discrepancy between the initial passenger manifest and the higher number of people later reported rescued and evacuated.

“The response operation is ongoing, and authorities are continuing to account for all victims,” said Syamsurizal, head of the Lembar Port Authority. He said at least two injured passengers were rushed to a nearby hospital.

Syamsurizal, who like many Indonesians uses a single name, said investigators were determining the cause of the fire. He said that survivors told authorities the blaze appeared to have started in a cargo truck before quickly spreading through the ferry.

Hariyadi said the rescue effort was supported by six vessels, a helicopter, two inflatable boats and two private yachts. He said rough seas with waves reported as high as 4 meters (13 feet) complicated rescue efforts.

Wednesday’s incident happened less than two weeks after another Indonesian ferry, the Mutiara Sentosa 2, caught fire in waters off the main island of Java, leaving at least five people dead.

Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries are a common method of travel. Disasters occur regularly, with weak safety enforcement often blamed.

Niniek Karmini, The Associated Press

by The Canadian Press

Rescuers evacuate more than 200 from a ferry fire that left at least 1 dead near Bali

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