An aerial view shows thick smoke rising from KM Putri Yasmin ferry that caught fire in waters off Lombok, Indonesia, August 12, 2026, in this screengrab taken from a handout video.
Indonesian rescue teams have evacuated 172 people after a passenger vessel travelling from Bali to Lombok erupted in flames early Wednesday, while search efforts continued for anyone who may still be unaccounted for.
The KM Putri Yasmin was sailing from Padangbai harbour in Bali towards Lembar in West Nusa Tenggara when the emergency occurred in the Lombok Strait at about 4:39 a.m. local time, according to Muhammad Hariyadi, head of the regional search and rescue agency.
Authorities confirmed that one Indonesian national had died.
Among those brought to safety was one Australian citizen, while the remaining survivors were Indonesians.
Rescue officials deployed several vessels to assist passengers and work with boats already operating around the affected area.
Passengers rescued from the KM Putri Yasmin ferry that caught fire in waters off Lombok, float in the sea during a rescue operation, in Indonesia, August 12, 2026, in this screengrab taken from a handout video.
More than 200 personnel were involved in the response.
The cause of the blaze remains unknown, with authorities yet to determine whether the vessel was carrying more people than permitted.
Heri Wiyanto, an official at Padangbai harbour, told local broadcaster Kompas TV that the ship’s passenger record listed 114 travellers and 17 crew members.
The latest accident comes less than a month after another Indonesian ferry, the KM Mutiara Sentosa 2, caught fire near Madura Island, resulting in five deaths.
That vessel was also reportedly carrying more people than recorded on its official manifest.
With thousands of islands spread across the Indonesian archipelago, ferries remain an essential and relatively inexpensive means of moving people between communities.
However, concerns over maritime safety persist, as enforcement of operational and passenger-carrying regulations has often been criticised following repeated accidents.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong