Dozens Leap Into Sea To Escape Flames As Fire Erupts On Ship Carrying 280 Off Indonesian Coast - Foreign
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The
KM Barcelona VA ferry was engulfed in flames on Sunday afternoon at
approximately 1:30 p.m. local time, according to reports.
A massive fire erupted on a crowded ferry off the coast of Indonesia, prompting terrified passengers to jump into the sea, while dozens are still feared to be trapped.
The KM Barcelona VA ferry was engulfed in flames on Sunday afternoon
at approximately 1:30 p.m. local time, according to reports.
Panic quickly spread onboard as thick black smoke poured from the lower decks.
Dramatic footage showed desperate passengers — many wearing bright
orange life jackets — jumping overboard as the fire tore through the
vessel.
Videos also captured the screams and frantic cries for help as chaos unfolded.
Dark smoke billowed into the sky as flames consumed the ship from the hull upwards.
One chilling broadcast came via Facebook Live from a passenger named Abdul Rahmad Agu, whose video captured the heart-stopping scenes in real-time.
Abdul said in the video: “Help, the KM Barcelona V is on fire. There are still many people on board.”
“We are burning at sea… we need help… fast…,” he pleaded in a panicked voice, his phone camera shaking as flames tore through the ship behind him.
He could be heard trying to reassure other passengers who had also leapt into the sea.
The livestream lasted approximately 28 minutes, suggesting that many people were left waiting in the water for at least half an hour before rescue teams arrived.
In separate footage, the overcrowded deck was seen as crew members assisted passengers in fastening their life jackets before they jumped overboard.
Rescue operations are still underway as emergency teams race against time to account for everyone onboard.
Some of the rescued passengers were later seen staring at the charred remains of the ferry as a nearby vessel assisted in extinguishing the flames.
What was once a blue and white ship had been reduced to a blackened, skeletal wreck as the fire gutted the vessel from the inside out.
Twisted metal bars from the ship’s internal structure were left exposed as the hull was completely destroyed.
“There are KM Barcelona III, KM Venecian, and KM Cantika Lestari 9F,” a Manado KSOP officer was quoted by The SUN US, naming the three rescue ships dispatched to the scene to help evacuate survivors.
Fishing boats and local residents could be seen surrounding the blazing ferry to help rescue as many passengers as possible, said the Manado Search and Rescue Office.
KM Barcelona VA was a passenger ferry serving the Manado-Tahuda route, as well as surrounding islands.
The ferry was en route from the Talaud Islands to Manado City when it caught fire off the coast of North Sulawesi.
It was nearing Talise Island in North Minahasa Regency when thick black smoke began pouring from the vessel and flames shot into the sky.
The ferry had been scheduled to dock at Manado Port before disaster struck, local outlet IDN Times reports.
At this stage, authorities have not confirmed any casualties as the cause of the fire remains unknown.
A search and rescue post has been set up at the nearby Likupang Port.
Families of those onboard have been urged to stay calm and await official updates.
The head of the Manado Search and Rescue Office, George Leo Mercy Randang, said: "More information will follow. We hope all passengers can be rescued first."
When high winds struck Halong Bay, the Wonder Sea boat, carrying 53 passengers, including five staff members, capsized.
According to VN Express, rescue crews recovered 37 bodies and saved 11 survivors, with five still unaccounted for.
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