A passenger ferry carrying approximately 300 people caught fire off the coast of Talise Island in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, on Sunday afternoon. The vessel, KM Barcelona V, was traveling from the Talaud Islands to Manado Port when flames erupted at around 1:30 PM local time.
Videos circulating on social media showed chaos on board, with thick smoke and flames billowing from the rear of the ferry. Passengers were seen diving into the sea in a desperate attempt to escape the burning vessel.
“Three people died and nearly 150 were rescued. They were rescued by a combined team of rescuers and local fishing boats,” said Veri Ariyanto, a senior official at the provincial Search and Rescue Office, in a statement to Xinhua.
BREAKING: A fire broke out around 1:30 p.m. local time today on the KM Barcelona VA ferry off the coast of North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
The vessel, carrying over 280 people from the Talaud Islands to Manado City, forced passengers to leap into the sea. No confirmed casualties… pic.twitter.com/7zkSEk3ZMB
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) July 20, 2025
The exact cause of the fire remains unclear. Investigations are underway to determine what triggered the blaze that engulfed the ferry so quickly.
One of the passengers, Alwina, shared a harrowing account of the moment the fire broke out. “It happened very quickly. Around noon WITA, someone shouted that there was a fire at the rear of the ship, and we immediately panicked,” said Alwina, who is also the wife of Christian M, the Head of Traffic at the Talaud Islands Police, as quoted by Antara News.
The rescue operation included efforts by local fishermen, who played a critical role in saving passengers before official rescue boats arrived. As of now, nearly 150 people have been brought to safety, but several passengers are still feared trapped on the ferry or missing at sea.
Authorities are continuing search and rescue efforts as daylight allows, with additional vessels and personnel deployed to the area.
Further updates on the rescue and investigation are expected soon.
