ELEVEN people were taken to hospital after a passenger ferry carrying 460 people caught fire off Indonesia’s Java coast on Tuesday, prompting an emergency evacuation of all passengers and crew.
The KMP Batumandi was approaching Merak Port in Cilegon, Banten province, when smoke was spotted near the stern at about 4.15pm local time, according to reports.
The ferry, which had departed Bakauheni Port at about 2.52pm, was carrying 420 passengers and 40 crew members when the incident occurred.
Footage circulating online showed flames engulfing the vessel as passengers prepared to evacuate.
Rescue teams and local fishing boats rushed to the scene, while port personnel, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) and police worked to manage the emergency.
All passengers and crew were evacuated safely, and those aboard were taken ashore for further assessment. Eleven people were subsequently taken to a hospital in nearby Cilegon for treatment, Xinhua news agency reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Merak Port is a major ferry terminal connecting Java and Sumatra across the Sunda Strait.
The incident adds to recent concerns over ferry safety in Indonesia, where inter-island vessels are a vital mode of transport across the archipelago.
Last month, a passenger ferry sank in the Java Sea while travelling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin, killing 80 of the 243 people aboard, while 55 remained missing, according to the report.
In August, a ferry caught fire off Madura Island, killing five people, with 41 passengers reported missing. In July, a ferry sank in the Bali Strait, leaving 19 dead and 17 missing. - October 21, 2026