At least five people have been killed and 41 passengers and crew members are still missing after a fire broke out on a passenger ferry near the Indonesian island of Madura, Reuters reported, citing the country's National Search and Rescue Agency.
According to the department, there were 271 people on the ship. As of Sunday, rescuers managed to evacuate 225 passengers and crew members. The search and rescue operation continues.
The ferry was traveling from Surabaya, East Java, to Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi. The fire broke out on Sunday morning, but its causes have not yet been determined.
Madura Island is located off the northeastern coast of Java Island and is connected to Surabaya by a bridge. Maritime transport remains one of the key modes of transport in Indonesia, the world's largest archipelagic nation, where passenger ships regularly travel between thousands of islands.
In Indonesia, ferry accidents occur regularly due to the high workload of maritime transport, weather conditions and problems related to maintaining safety standards. One of the biggest tragedies was the Sewol ferry disaster in 2004, when the ship sank due to overcrowding and poorly organized evacuation, killing hundreds of people.
The causes of the current fire and possible violations of safety rules will be clarified after the end of the rescue operation.
