A massive rescue mission has been launched involving several ships from the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL), Indonesian Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla), and a local search and rescue agency.
"The naval vessels dispatched for the search and rescue mission are KRI Pari and KAL Tedung Selar," Commander of the TNI AL Fleet Command Vice Admiral Denih Hendrata told ANTARA in Jakarta on Sunday.
The VIII/Manado Naval Base had urged local fishermen to help evacuate passengers and crew members of the ship, which caught fire near Talise Island while sailing from a port in Talaud Islands District to Manado City on Sunday afternoon, he said.
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He, however, could not yet provide details on the cause of the fire but assured that the rescue mission was still underway.
Meanwhile, the Central Maritime Zone Command of Bakamla also deployed its vessel KN Gajah Laut to help rescue those on board the ill-fated passenger ship.
The command's head, Commodore Teguh Prasetya, said in Manado that the rescue team and local fishermen had managed to rescue several passengers.
"The evacuation is still ongoing. Our focus is to rescue all passengers of the ship," he said.
Separately, the Manado Search and Rescue Agency confirmed the deployment of 21 personnel aboard its vessel KN Bima.
"The ship reportedly caught fire between 12 noon and 1 p.m. local time," the agency's spokesperson, Nuriadin Gumeleng, said, adding that a pregnant woman died in the mishap and her body had been evacuated.
A video recorded by a passenger and circulated on social media showed flames engulfing the upper deck of the vessel, causing panic and prompting some passengers to jump overboard.
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Translator: Walda M, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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