At least five individuals have lost their lives, and 41 others remain unaccounted for following a ferry blaze in the waters near Indonesia.
An extensive search and rescue operation is currently in progress, with teams dispatched on emergency vessels to assist in the evacuation of both passengers and crew members aboard the ferry.
The fire is believed to have ignited shortly after the Mutiara Sentosa 2, carrying 250 passengers and crew, set sail from Surabaya en route to Makassar.
The ship’s captain reported the fire off Madura island while the vessel was en route from Surabaya, East Java, to Makassar, South Sulawesi, as stated by Basarnas, the National Search and Rescue Agency.
Basarnas shared a video on TikTok, indicating that at 8:24 am local time, the Surabaya Search and Rescue office received information about the KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 being engulfed in flames. The fire was reported to have occurred between 6:00-7:00 am local time (00:00-01:00 GMT), based on details provided by the shipping company.
This is a developing news story. Stay updated on breaking news stories by visiting our website or following us on various social media platforms. Remember to select Daily Mirror as a ‘Preferred Source’ on Google News for immediate access to the latest news updates.