At least five people have been killed and 41 are still missing after a ferry caught fire off Indonesia's Madura island, authorities have said.
The country's search and rescue agency said it was unclear how the ferry, which was heading from Surabaya in East Java province to Makassar city in South Sulawesi, caught fire on Sunday morning.
The vessel was carrying 271 passengers and crew members when it caught fire, 225 of whom have been rescued.
Officials said the search and rescue operation is still ongoing.
Footage on social media showed thick smoke coming from the ferry, as people in lifejackets escaped the boat.
A statement posted to TikTok said that at 8:24 local time, the Surabaya SAR Office received regarding a burning vessel in the northern waters of Madura.
The statement said that based on information from the shipping company, the fire occurred at around 6am to 7am local time.
The ferry operator, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, reported the incident to the Surabaya search and rescue office about an hour later, Basarnas said in a statement. It said the company received information from the ferry's captain that the vessel was on fire near the northern tip of Madura island, but contact was later lost.
“Passengers held on in the ship’s bridge and bow while awaiting rescue,” the statement read.
“Around 10:20 WIB, a number of passengers who jumped into the sea were rescued by TB Hasnur 26 together with the tanker British Mentor. At least four vessels were in the area to assist with the rescue.”
Search and rescue teams dispatched a rescue vessel from Surabaya, although officials estimated it would take about six hours to reach the scene. A rigid inflatable boat from the Sumenep rescue post was sent toward the location but later returned to shore because of rough seas and high waves. The Indonesian Navy also deployed a warship to assist.
The 160 meters (525 feet) long and 25 meters (82 feet) wide ferry serves the Surabaya-Makassar route, a voyage that typically takes around 40 hours and is primarily used by domestic travelers and cargo transport between Java and Sulawesi.
