At least 13 people have died after a ship with hundreds of passengers burned down in eastern Indonesia, Isaiak Nukka, head of the East Nusa Tenggara provincial transport agency, said.
“The search and rescue operation saved 241 people out of 254 people alive, including passengers and crew members,” he told AFP.
For his part, the head of the local search and rescue agency, Ai Bhutto Sudayana, told the agency: “We managed to evacuate 240 people, including 14 dead, 226 survivors.”
A fire broke out on the upper deck of the KM Express Kantika 77 ship off the coast of East Timor in the province, forcing desperate passengers to jump off the ship. The authorities sent three rescue boats, and local fishermen on their own boats went in search.
