5 dead after ferry catches fire off Indonesia’s Sulawesi island; passengers jump for safety
Indonesian media reported that the vessel - KM Barcelona 5 - was ferrying 280 passengers and was scheduled to dock at Manado Port.
A composite image showing passengers fleeing for safety following the fire onboard KM Barcelona 5 off of Indonesia's North Sulawesi province on Jul 20, 2025. (Photo: Facebook/Info Kapal Manado & Sekitarnya)
JAKARTA: An Indonesian ferry fire killed at least five people on Sunday (Jul 20), the country's coast guard said, while more than 200 others were saved with many jumping overboard to flee the huge blaze.
Dramatic footage of passengers jumping into the sea made the rounds on social media after the KM Barcelona 5 ferry was engulfed in flames off the coast of Sulawesi island, Indonesia's Maritime Security Agency said. The incident came just weeks after at least 19 people were killed when a ferry sank off the popular resort island of Bali.
"Five people were reported dead, two of whom have yet to be identified. Meanwhile, 284 people have been evacuated safely," the agency, also known as Bakamla, said in a statement.
The fire broke out at the ferry's stern as it was on its way to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, with some passengers jumping overboard with life jackets, the statement said.
Local media reported that the vessel was ferrying 280 passengers and was scheduled to dock at Manado Port.
Fishermen also helped evacuate the victims to nearby islands, while those injured were taken to the nearest health facility, Bakamla added.
The accident happened about one hour away from the resort town of Likupang, in the northern tip of Sulawesi, Manado search and rescue agency head, George Leo Mercy Randang, told AFP.
A video released by the Manado agency showed a Bakamla vessel spraying water on the ferry, which was still emitting thin black smoke.
"What is important is that we are prioritising rescue before nightfall," George told AFP, without confirming the total number of people who were on board the ferry.
Neither he nor Bakamla gave a cause for the fire.
Videos of the vessel fire went viral on TikTok, with some reportedly taken by passengers who had jumped aboard for safety.
Thick plumes of black smoke could be seen in the background as passengers floated in the water. In another clip posted on Tiktok by user Soalunsrat, passengers on the vessel were seen hurriedly putting on life vests even as others were seen panicking and attempting to make calls on their mobile phones.
