Three people died and more than 500 were rescued after a fire broke out Sunday on a passenger ferry near the northern coast of Sulawesi, authorities said.
The blaze erupted aboard the KM Barcelona 5 about an hour from the resort town of Likupang. Many passengers jumped into the sea to escape the flames, with rescue efforts aided by local fishermen, the coast guard, and the Indonesian Navy.
Initial reports indicated five fatalities, but the toll was revised after two people initially thought dead were found alive at a hospital.
Officials said 568 people were rescued, though the ferry’s manifest listed fewer than 300 passengers and crew, prompting concern over possible overcapacity.
The ferry, licensed to carry up to 600 people, was en route to Manado from the Talaud Islands. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.