This Wednesday, a fire hit a vessel that was crossing between the islands of Bali and Lombok, in Indonesia. At least one person died and another 172 were rescued.
Boat catches fire with more than 170 people on board in Indonesia; look
This Wednesday, a fire hit a vessel that was crossing between the islands of Bali and Lombok, in Indonesia. At least one person died and another 172 were rescued. The fire broke out while the KMP Putri Yasmin ferry was sailing through the...
The fatal victim was identified as a 19-year-old Indonesian girl. At least two other passengers were taken to a hospital, but there was no information about their condition.
- Initially, authorities reported that the boat was carrying 131 people, including 17 crew members.
- Hours later, however, the number of people rescued reached at least 172, according to the Associated Press (AP), indicating that there were more people on board than the total released at...
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The fire broke out while the KMP Putri Yasmin ferry was sailing through the Lombok Strait, after leaving the port of Padangbai, in southeastern Bali, bound for Lembar, in southwestern Lombok, according to the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas).
The fatal victim was identified as a 19-year-old Indonesian girl. At least two other passengers were taken to a hospital, but there was no information about their condition.
Initially, authorities reported that the boat was carrying 131 people, including 17 crew members. Hours later, however, the number of people rescued reached at least 172, according to the Associated Press (AP), indicating that there were more people on board than the total released at the beginning of the operation.
The vessel also carried 44 vehicles and 53 motorcycles.
Rescue teams faced difficulties due to sea conditions. Waves of up to four meters were recorded during the operation.
Padangbai is one of the main boarding points for passengers leaving Bali heading to Lombok and other tourist destinations in the region, such as the Gili Islands.
Bali receives millions of foreign tourists every year, and boats play a fundamental role in transport between the different islands of the Indonesian archipelago.
Recurrent accidents
Maritime accidents are recurrent in Indonesia and are usually associated with infrastructure problems, excess passengers or cargo, insufficient enforcement of safety rules and unfavorable weather conditions.
In early August, a fire on a ferry off the coast of Madura in East Java left three people dead. In July 2025, another three people died after a fire hit a vessel carrying around 580 people in the province of North Celebes.
With more than 17,000 islands and a population of approximately 290 million, Indonesia relies heavily on maritime transport to connect different regions of the country.
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