Number of people saved from burning Indonesian ferry rises to 575: Rescuers

Manado: The number of people saved from an Indonesian passenger ferry that caught fire at sea rose to 575, rescuers said Monday, but three died and two remained missing.

The KM Barcelona V-A caught fire around midday Sunday while making its regular half-day journey between two ports in North Sulawesi province, from Melonguane to Manado, according to First Adm Franky Pasuna Sihombing, chief of the Manado navy base. A coast guard ship, six rescue vessels and several inflatable boats were deployed in the rescue operation, Sihombing said. The crews pulled many people from the sea and took them to nearby islands, and local fishermen also saved some survivors wearing life jackets as they were drifting in the choppy waters. Photos and videos circulated on social media showed terrified passengers, jumping into the sea as orange flames and black smoke billowed from the burning vessel.