At least five people have died and 41 others remain missing after a ferry carrying more than 250 people caught fire off the coast of Indonesia, according to authorities. Rescue teams are continuing efforts to locate those unaccounted for, the BBC reported.
The vessel, identified as KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2, was travelling from Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city in East Java province, to Makassar in South Sulawesi when the fire broke out near Madura Island.
According to Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the ship's captain alerted authorities after the blaze erupted while the vessel was at sea. The agency said the Surabaya Search and Rescue Office received information about the incident at 8:24 a.m. local time.
Officials quoted by the BBC said the fire is believed to have started between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. local time. Subsequent updates indicated that a large portion of the ferry had been engulfed in flames, leaving many passengers stranded on the ship's bridge and bow as they awaited assistance.
Videos broadcast by local news outlet iNews showed frightened passengers wearing life jackets and gathering aboard rescue vessels. Other footage captured thick plumes of smoke rising from the ferry as some passengers climbed down the vessel while others jumped into the sea.
Rescue teams were seen throwing lifebuoys into the water and helping survivors onto nearby boats as authorities continued their search-and-rescue operation. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
