Panic gripped passengers on board an Indonesian ferry after it caught fire mid-sea near Southeast Sulawesi on Sunday. The vessel, reportedly carrying nearly 300 passengers, was en route from Kendari to Makassar when flames erupted, prompting emergency evacuation efforts.Local authorities said at least 18 people were injured, many suffering from burns and smoke inhalation during the chaos that followed the fire outbreak. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far.Videos circulating on social media showed terrified passengers leaping into the sea as thick black smoke engulfed the vessel. Other footage showed people scrambling to wear life jackets, while some frantically made phone calls.“According to initial information, the fire is located off Talise Island,” said Jerry Harmonsina, secretary of the North Sulawesi regional disaster management agency, in a statement to local media outlet Detik. The fire reportedly broke out on Sunday afternoon.Rescue efforts are underway. Harmonsina confirmed that teams from the Navy, National Search and Rescue Agency, Coast Guard, and even local fishermen are assisting in evacuating passengers from the burning vessel.The exact cause of the fire remains unclear. Local authorities have yet to provide a confirmed count of passengers rescued.Indonesia, an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, often relies heavily on ferries for inter-island transport, where safety lapses are common despite repeated warnings.
