Three Dead, 300 Evacuated as Ferry Catches Fire off Java Coast

Three people were found dead in the blazing wreckage of a ferry off the coast of Java. About 300 people had been evacuated by Saturday 24^th August.

The KM Santika Nusantara, which was travelling between Surabaya and Balikpapan on Borneo, caught fire on Thursday evening. It was initially reported that 277 people were on board, however it was then confirmed that 303 people had boarded the ferry. However, officials noted that only 111 passengers had registered their names, making rescue efforts complicated.

“The search will continue today,” Basarnas official Budi Prasetyo said earlier. The national rescue team Basarnas aids searches for missing passengers by deploying ships from nearby ports and operating aircrafts for air monitoring.

Source: Channel News Asia
Image: Jatim Fokus

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