Fire aboard Putri Yasmin ferry near Bali leaves 25 passengers still trapped

Around 4:15 am on Wednesday, the Putri Yasmin ferry ignited in rough waters off Bali as it traveled from Padang Bai port to Lombok, with a manifest of 114 passengers and 17 crew members. Rescue units from the Indonesian navy, patrol boats and other vessels arrived promptly, managing to extract 106 people from the burning ship. Rough sea conditions, featuring waves as high as 4 metres, complicated the operation, leading officials to deploy a helicopter for aerial assessment.

Muhammad Hariyadi, head of the Mataram Search and Rescue Office, emphasized that rescuing all aboard remains the top priority. The ferry also carried 44 vehicles and 53 motorcycles, according to the Padang Bai port authority. As of the latest report, 25 individuals are still trapped on board while crews continue to fight the fire. Indonesia relies heavily on ferries for inter-island travel, and such incidents highlight ongoing safety concerns.