A vessel carrying 280 people erupted in flames off the coast of Indonesia today, forcing terrified passengers to jump into the sea wearing life jackets.
Dramatic Escape and Rescue Efforts
Tragic moments were captured on mobile phone cameras and circulated on social media, showing a massive fire and a dense plume of smoke rising into the sky. The fire broke out on the KM Barcelona ship, operating on the Manado-Tahuna route, around 1:30 PM local time.
Passengers reportedly screamed in panic and cried out of fear. All quickly donned life jackets and, with the assistance of the crew, leaped into the water.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. Three rescue vessels—KM Barcelona III, KM Venetian, and KM Cantika Lestari 9F—rushed to the scene. Fortunately, there are no reported casualties.
