In Indonesia, the ferry KM Barcelona 5, traveling from Melonguane Port in the Talaud Islands to Manado, caught fire at noon on Sunday, July 20, near the island of Talise in North Sulawesi. The fire began in the stern section, and while it was extinguished within an hour, the passengers had to jump into the water to save themselves.
Officially, there were 280 passengers and 15 crew members aboard, but rescuers counted 568 survivors — such discrepancies are not uncommon for inter-island lines in Indonesia. Three could not be saved: among the deceased was a pregnant woman. Another two, initially declared dead, including a two-month-old baby, were successfully resuscitated by doctors. The operation involved a coast guard ship, six rescue boats, inflatable rafts, and local fishermen pulling people straight from the strait.
The causes of the fire are currently provisional: an electrical system failure in the stern compartment is considered possible. Investigators from the Ministry of Transport and the Navy are interviewing the crew and analyzing surveillance records; the results of the examination will take several weeks. The fire destroyed the upper decks of the ferry, but the engine room remained intact, allowing the hull to be towed to Manado for inspection. The Navy emphasizes that if the flames had reached the tanks, the number of casualties could have been higher.
Less than three weeks ago, on July 3rd, the ferry Tunu Pratama Jaya sank in the Bali Strait while traveling from Ketapang to Gilimanuk: 29 people were rescued, six deaths were confirmed, and around thirty others went missing amidst stormy seas.
Search operations were suspended due to poor visibility, once again raising questions about the readiness of operators and oversight for emergency situations.
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