Ferry catches fire near Indonesian port, all passengers and crew rescued alive

A ferry caught fire in western Indonesia as it neared a port, but all of its passengers and crew were rescued and no deaths were reported in Tuesday's incident.

The fire broke out near Merak Port in Banten province. The ferry, the KMP Batumandi, was about to dock when it caught fire, and a thick plume of smoke rose from the vessel.

The ferry had left Bakauheni, on the southern tip of Sumatra, at about 2:52pm. Roughly two hours later, staff on shore spotted flames near the stern of the vessel.

The operator said the evacuation was completed within an hour of the fire breaking out. Rescuers were able to evacuate all passengers and crew from the ferry.

One passenger said the smoke thickened, it became hard to breathe, and diesel was leaking from the ceiling.

The cause of the blaze is not yet known. Authorities have so far been unable to confirm what started the fire.

Port authorities, the search and rescue agency and police are still handling the situation at the scene.

Merak Port sits at one end of one of Indonesia's busiest ferry routes, where ferries arriving from Bakauheni berth. Tuesday's sailing was part of that regular service.

The extent of the damage to the ferry was not immediately known. Although everyone was rescued alive, the incident has raised fresh questions about safety arrangements in ferry operations.

More details are expected once the authorities complete their inquiry into the cause of the fire. Although the evacuation is over, the work of the agencies concerned at the scene is still continuing.