Five people have died and 41 are missing after a passenger ferry caught fire at sea in Indonesia.
According to local authorities, there were at least 250 people on board. The fire broke out on the KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry as it was sailing near the island of Madura, en route from the country’s second largest city, Surabaya, to Makassar.
Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency said the ship’s captain reported the fire, and rescue teams immediately headed to the incident area.
Footage published by local media shows dozens of passengers wearing life jackets, while other footage shows people getting off the ferry, from which flames and large clouds of smoke are rising.
According to the BBC, information about the fire was received at around 08:24 local time, while the transport company had reported that the fire had started around 06:00-07:00.
Authorities later confirmed that the ferry was almost completely engulfed in flames. Passengers had gathered on the bridge and at the front of the ship, waiting for rescue teams to arrive.
Some passengers were forced to jump into the sea to escape the flames, while others gathered in groups wearing life jackets, awaiting help from rescue ships.
The search and rescue operation continues, as authorities work to find missing persons and determine the cause of the fire.