After the blaze was extinguished the previously proud blue and white boat had turned to a burned out smouldering carcass with its internal structure exposed amongst its blackened remains. A search and rescue post was set up at the nearby Likupang Port and at such an early stage it is not possible to determine the exact cause of the fire.
The archipelago of 17,000 islands that make up Indonesia relies greatly on ferry travel, but incidents on the water are sadly becoming more frequent. Part of that is due to bad weather, but also can be attributed to poorly enforced safety procedures, which have regularly been called into question.
Only a matter of weeks ago at least 19 people died with a further 16 still missing presumed drowned, when a ferry sank close to the popular tourist resort of Bali and back in 2018 more than 150 people perished after the vessel they were travelling on sank in one of the world’s deepest lakes on Sumatra island.