568 people survived after an Indonesian passenger ferry caught fire at sea

More than 560 people were rescued and three confirmed dead after the KM Barcelona 5 passenger ferry caught fire off Indonesia’s Sulawesi coast on Sunday.

The ferry was en route from the Talaud Islands to Manado when flames broke out in the stern.

Rescuers, coast guard ships, and local fishermen helped evacuate passengers, many of whom jumped into the sea.

Initial reports of five deaths were revised to three, including a pregnant woman, after two survivors were found alive, the Associated Press has reported.

The ferry was carrying more people than listed on its manifest, a common issue in Indonesia, where ferry accidents are frequent due to poor safety enforcement.

Written by B.C. Begley