INFERNO

At Least 5 Dead After Ferry Bursts Into Flames

41 people are still missing.

A ferry carrying nearly 300 people caught fire near the coast of Java in Indonesia Sunday morning. Rescue crews have saved 225 of the 271 passengers and crew members aboard the Mutiara Sentosa 2 and recovered five bodies, leaving 41 people unaccounted for. The ferry was traveling from East Java to South Sulawesi when the blaze broke out between 6 and 7 a.m. Videos on social media show the Mutiara Sentosa 2 engulfed in smoke and passengers jumping from upper sections into the water, while traveling from East Java to South Sulawesi. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Rescue efforts were complicated by rough seas, forcing one inflatable rescue boat to turn back, while the Indonesian Navy dispatched a warship to assist. “The safety of passengers and crew is our top priority. We are continuously coordinating with all relevant parties to ensure that the evacuation process can proceed quickly, safely, and effectively,” Muhammad Masyhud of the Ministry of Transportation said.