Hundreds of passengers have been evacuated safely after an Indonesian ferry caught fire while approaching the busy port of Merak on Tuesday, triggering an urgent joint search and rescue operation.
The vessel, identified as the KMP Batumandi, was carrying commuter traffic across the vital maritime corridor between Sumatra and Java when plumes of thick black smoke were observed rising from the ship's lower decks, Al Jazeera reported.
Flames erupt on Sunda Strait crossing
The incident unfolded in the Sunda Strait as the ferry neared its destination at Merak Port in Banten province, western Java. Commercial vessels and emergency tugboats were swiftly redirected to assist the stricken craft. Marine search and rescue personnel, alongside local water police, worked in tandem to establish safety lines and transfer distressed travellers onto assisting boats.
Initial reports confirmed that all passengers and crew members aboard the ferry were successfully accounted for and brought ashore without major injury or loss of life, averting what could have been a catastrophic maritime disaster. Evacuees were taken to local medical facilities for precautionary check-ups, with authorities monitoring several people for smoke inhalation.
Coordinated rescue averts disaster at sea
Footage broadcast across Indonesian networks showed frantic moments as thick smoke billowed into the afternoon sky, with passengers donning orange life vests while gathering on open outer decks awaiting extraction.
Al Jazeera reported that the fire appeared to have started inside the vehicle deck or engine area before spreading rapidly through secondary compartments. Firefighting vessels equipped with water cannons doused the superstructure, bringing the blaze under control within hours and preventing the ship from sinking in one of the world's most congested shipping lanes.
Harbour authorities noted that maritime traffic around Merak Port, which links the economic hubs of Java and Sumatra, experienced temporary disruptions while the burnt-out hulk of the ferry was secured and towed to a safe anchorage for assessment.
Persistent safety record under scrutiny
The near-miss once again turns an unforgiving spotlight onto Indonesia's chequered domestic transport safety record. The sprawling archipelago, comprising more than 17,000 islands, relies heavily on watercraft to connect regional populations and transport freight, yet the maritime sector remains dogged by regulatory lapses and lax enforcement.
Fatal maritime incidents are common across the country. Overcrowding, substandard maintenance routines, and inadequate emergency gear frequently contribute to deadly sinkings. In 2018, roughly 160 people drowned when an overcrowded ferry capsized in North Sumatra's Lake Toba, one of the nation's worst waterborne tragedies in recent decades.
Although recent government initiatives have sought to standardise port inspections and modernise safety infrastructure—supported by Australian maritime capacity-building programs valued at over $15 million annually across the region—older vessels like those servicing the Sunda Strait continue to test regulatory oversight.
Formal inquiry launched at Merak
Transport safety investigators have commenced an inquiry into the root cause of the blaze on the KMP Batumandi. Specialist marine inspectors are scheduled to board the vessel once the hull has cooled sufficiently to determine whether a vehicle defect, electrical short-circuit, or fuel-line failure triggered the fire.
Port officials confirmed that scheduled ferry services across the Sunda Strait resumed late on Tuesday evening, albeit with tightened pre-departure screening protocols for commercial haulage vehicles entering ferry holds.