What should have been a routine ferry journey across Indonesian waters turned into a desperate fight for survival.
A passenger ferry caught fire at sea on Sunday, leaving at least five people dead, 41 missing and hundreds scrambling to escape the flames.
Rescue officials said 225 people were pulled to safety, with many passengers jumping into the ocean before being rescued by nearby vessels.
As panic spread, ships in the area rushed to help, but several had to keep their distance because of the risk posed by flammable materials still burning on the ferry.
The vessel had been sailing from Surabaya in East Java to Makassar in South Sulawesi when the fire broke out.
Before communications were lost, the captain managed to alert the ferry operator about the blaze.
Blaze Sparks Major Rescue
Since then, officials have been unable to re-establish contact.
“Passengers are waiting to be evacuated by vessels in the vicinity of the incident site,” a senior Transportation Ministry official said.
The official described the ongoing rescue effort.
A larger search-and-rescue mission is now heading from Surabaya, though reaching the disaster zone is expected to take around six hours.
Meanwhile, families anxiously await news of the 41 people still unaccounted for.
As rescuers race against time, the tragedy serves as another stark reminder.
At sea, a single emergency can turn an ordinary voyage into a life-or-death battle.
