At least five people were killed, and 41 remained missing on Sunday after a ferry caught fire off Indonesia’s Madura Island, according to local media reports.
The ferry was travelling from Surabaya in East Java province to Makassar in South Sulawesi with 271 passengers and crew members on board. Authorities said 225 people had been rescued.
Rescue teams were evacuating passengers, including some who jumped into the sea to escape the blaze, the English-language daily Jakarta Globe reported.
Nanang Sigit, head of the Surabaya Search and Rescue Office, said several nearby vessels had joined the rescue operation.
He said the ferry was located about 19 nautical miles from Buruan Sapudi Island, the nearest land.
Amateur videos circulating on social media appeared to show thick black smoke rising from the upper decks as flames spread through the vessel.
Passengers wearing life jackets could also be seen gathered on one side of the ferry.
