1 Dead, 172 Rescued After Ferry Fire Near Bali

Rescuers pulled 172 people to safety and recovered the body of a 19-year-old Indonesian girl after a passenger ferry caught fire in rough seas near Bali on Wednesday, authorities said.

The fire broke out around 4:15 a.m. aboard the Putri Yasmin as it traveled from Padang Bai port in Bali to Lembar port on the neighboring island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara province, according to the search and rescue office in Mataram, the provincial capital. The agency received an emergency report about 30 minutes later and deployed personnel and rescue vessels.

"Our top priority is the safety of all passengers and crew members," said Muhammad Hariyadi, who heads the Mataram Search and Rescue Office.

Initial reports based on the ship's manifest said the ferry was carrying 131 people, including 17 crew members, when the fire broke out in the Lombok Strait. Hours later, officials said more people were actually aboard than the manifest listed, a discrepancy authorities said is common on Indonesian boats and ferries. The vessel was also carrying 44 vehicles and 53 motorcycles.

The National Search and Rescue Agency, or Basarnas, said the 172 people evacuated from the burned ferry included two Australian tourists. Syamsurizal, head of the Lembar Port Authority, said at least two injured passengers were taken to a nearby hospital.

"The response operation is ongoing, and authorities are continuing to account for all victims," said Syamsurizal, who like many Indonesians uses a single name.

The incident comes less than two weeks after another Indonesian ferry, the Mutiara Sentosa 2, caught fire in waters off the island of Java, killing at least five people.