172 Rescued, 1 Dead in Bali Ferry Fire

Crews rescued 172 people and recovered the body of a passenger from a ferry that caught fire in rough seas on Wednesday near the Indonesian tourist island of Bali, authorities said. The fire broke out on the Putri Yasmin ferry while it was en route from Padang Bai port in Bali to Lembar port on the neighboring island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara province.

The incident began at approximately 4:15 a.m. local time. The Mataram Search and Rescue Office, the provincial capital, received an emergency report nearly half an hour later and immediately deployed personnel and rescue vessels. The ferry was carrying 44 vehicles and 53 motorcycles in addition to its passengers.

Initial reports based on the ship's manifest indicated 131 people were aboard, including 17 crew members. However, officials later stated that more people were on the vessel than listed, a common occurrence in Indonesia. The National Search and Rescue Agency, known as Basarnas, confirmed that 172 people were evacuated from the burned vessel, including two Australian tourists. The body of a 19-year-old Indonesian woman was also recovered.

"Our top priority is the safety of all passengers and crew members," said...