Overview
- The Putri Yasmin caught fire early Wednesday while sailing from Padang Bai in Bali to Lembar in Lombok, forcing passengers to abandon ship in rough seas with waves reported up to four metres.
- Rescue teams using navy ships, patrol boats, rescue vessels, helicopters and private craft evacuated more than 200 people, with later tallies ranging up to 211 survivors.
- Authorities recovered the body of a 19-year-old woman and said several passengers needed hospital treatment after the rescue.
- Survivors told investigators the blaze appeared to begin in a cargo truck on deck, and officials have opened formal inquiries into the cause and into why manifest counts initially underreported those aboard.
- The incident follows a deadly ferry blaze off Java days earlier that killed five and drew a KNKT probe, increasing pressure on regulators to enforce vehicle stowage rules, accurate manifests and faster emergency response.