At least five people have died and more than 280 others have been rescued after a ferry caught fire off the coast of Sulawesi Island in Indonesia, officials confirmed on Sunday, July 20, 2025.
The incident involved the KM Barcelona 5, a passenger ferry that was en route to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, when a fire broke out near the ferry’s stern. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
According to Indonesia’s Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla), 284 people were evacuated, with many passengers forced to jump into the sea wearing life jackets to escape the flames. Tragically, five people lost their lives, including two who remain unidentified.
“Fishermen in the area played a vital role in assisting the evacuation, transporting victims to nearby islands,” the agency stated.
Injured passengers were rushed to nearby health facilities for treatment. The fire broke out roughly an hour away from Likupang, a well-known resort town on Sulawesi’s northern tip.
George Leo Mercy Randang, the head of the Manado Search and Rescue Agency, said efforts were focused on completing rescue operations before nightfall. A video released by the agency showed rescue boats battling thick smoke as they sprayed water on the burning ferry.
Authorities have yet to confirm the total number of people who were on board the ferry at the time of the incident.
A Troubling Pattern of Maritime Accidents
This tragedy comes just weeks after at least 19 people died when another ferry sank near Bali due to rough weather. Marine accidents are frequent in Indonesia, a vast archipelago of over 17,000 islands, where lax safety standards, overloading, and poor weather often contribute to such disasters.
Earlier this year in March, a boat carrying 16 people capsized off Bali, leading to the death of an Australian woman and injuries to others.
In one of the deadliest incidents, more than 150 people drowned in 2018 when a ferry sank in Lake Toba, one of the world’s deepest volcanic lakes on Sumatra Island.
As investigations into the KM Barcelona 5 fire begin, officials have called for stricter enforcement of maritime safety protocols to prevent future tragedies.
