Ferry catches fire near Bali; 172 rescued, 1 dead

Indonesian authorities rescued 172 people from a burning ferry on Wednesday near the tourist island of Bali, with at least one person killed in the incident, officials said.

The fire broke out at approximately 4:15 a.m. on the Putri Yasmin ferry while it was en route from Padang Bai port in Bali to Lembar port on the neighboring island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara province. The ferry operates on the Padang Bai-Lembar route, which connects the two popular tourist destinations.

The search and rescue office in Mataram, the provincial capital, received an emergency report almost half an hour after the fire started and immediately deployed personnel and rescue vessels. Muhammad Hariyadi, who heads the Mataram Search and Rescue Office, said the agency's top priority was the safety of all passengers and crew members.

A 19-year-old Indonesian woman was killed in the incident, according to Hariyadi. A body was recovered and brought to Lembar on the coast of western Lombok, according to an AFP photographer present at the scene.

Rescue operations were complicated by rough seas and high waves, authorities said. A Navy ship and two other vessels assisted in removing passengers from the burning ferry. Among those rescued were two Australian tourists, Hariyadi told AFP.

The ferry was carrying 131 people, including 17 crew members, based on the ship's manifest when the fire broke out. Survivor Kiky Okta Pradika, 25, told journalists in Lembar that he put on a life jacket before jumping from the vessel along with other passengers. "It took several hours before they arrived to help," Pradika said.

Search and rescue vessels remained at the scene following the evacuation. This was the second major ferry fire in Indonesia within the month, according to authorities.