Jakarta: A large ferry with nearly 200 people on board caught fire on Saturday while travelling to a remote island in northeast Indonesia, forcing passengers and crew to jump into the sea but causing no casualties.
According to reports, the ferry KM Karya Indah was headed for Sanana, a port on the remote island of Limafatola when the fire broke out at around 7 am local time.
The fire broke out 15 minutes after the vessel departed from Ternate, the provincial capital of North Maluku province.
A video of the incident provided by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed passengers and crew clinging to floating objects as they struggled in the choppy water, while the raging fire on the ferry sent up clouds of black smoke.
Wisnu Wardana, a spokesperson for the sea transportation directorate general told news agency AP there were 188 passengers in the ferry, including 22 children and 14 crew members who were rescued and safely evacuated to a nearby island.
Authorities have launched a priliminary inquiry to know the cause of the incident as survivors informed that fire apparently started in the engine room.