On November 16, a ro/pax ferry caught fire off the coast of Bali with hundreds of passengers on board, causing a mass rescue effort. No injuries or fatalities were reported.
The ferry Mutiara Timur I was in the Bali Strait when heavy smoke began to billow from the interior. The ship was carrying 234 passengers aboard at the time, and getting all of them off the ship required considerable assistance.
In fact, first responders included local fishermen, rescue Response Rigid Inflatbles belonging to Indonesian SAR agency Basarnas, and good samaritans.
What is more, the Indonesian Navy patrol ship Kadet-6 was among the responding vessels, and its crew used a small platform at the stern to help passengers clamber from small rescue boats onto the ship.
Speaking to local media, SAR official Tanjungwangi Widodo informed about the evacuation operation, also adding that no injuries or fatalities had been reported as of November 16.
Later, the head of Basarnas for Bali, Gede Darmada, stated that all crewmembers and passengers on the ship had been evacuated and brought to shore at Tanjungwangi Banyuwangi, Java.