Ferry Carrying Passengers And Vehicles Catches Fire Near Bali, One Dead

At least one person died and 172 people were rescued after the Putri Yasmin ferry caught fire in rough seas near Bali on Wednesday morning, triggering a major rescue operation in the Lombok Strait.

The ferry was travelling from Padang Bai port in Bali to Lembar port in Lombok when the fire broke out at about 4:15 am local time. Another report put the time at 4:39 am. The emergency alert reached the Mataram Search and Rescue Office shortly after, prompting crews to send rescue boats, navy vessels and a helicopter to the area. More than 200 rescue personnel took part in the operation.

Rescuers recovered the body of a 19 year old Indonesian woman, identified by some reports as Ananda Indah Dwi Septiani. At least two injured passengers were taken to a nearby hospital.

The rescue was made harder by rough seas and waves reaching up to four metres. Navy ships, patrol boats, rescue vessels and nearby private boats helped take passengers away from the burning ferry. Reports said two Australians were among those rescued, although Reuters reported one Australian national.

There is also a major question over how many people were actually on board. The ferry's manifest listed 114 passengers and 17 crew members, a total of 131 people. Yet authorities said 172 people were rescued. One report put the rescue figure at 173. The manifest also did not list any foreign passengers, despite reports that Australians were among those rescued.

The ferry was carrying 44 vehicles and 53 motorcycles. Authorities have not yet said what caused the fire, and the investigation is continuing.

The incident comes just days after another ferry fire in Indonesia. On August 2, the Mutiara Sentosa 2 caught fire off Madura Island in East Java, killing at least five people. More than 220 people were rescued, while dozens were initially reported missing.

The two incidents have renewed concerns over ferry safety, overcrowding and passenger records in Indonesia, an archipelago where ferries are a vital part of daily travel between its thousands of islands.