172 rescued, one dead after ferry fire near Bali

Rescue crews saved 172 people and recovered one body after a ferry caught fire in rough seas near Bali on Wednesday. The Putri Yasmin ferry was traveling from Padang Bai port in Bali to Lembar port on Lombok when the fire started around 4:15 a.m. The Mataram Search and Rescue Office deployed personnel and vessels after receiving an emergency report. Initially, the ship's manifest listed 131 people, including 17 crew members, but officials later stated more people were on board, a common occurrence in Indonesia. The ferry was also transporting 44 vehicles and 53 motorcycles. Among the rescued were two Australian tourists, and the body of a 19-year-old Indonesian girl was recovered. At least two injured passengers were taken to a hospital. The rescue effort, complicated by waves up to 4 meters, involved Indonesian navy ships, patrol boats, rescue vessels, and a helicopter. This incident follows another ferry fire less than two weeks prior off Java, which resulted in five deaths. Indonesia, an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, frequently experiences such disasters due to weak safety enforcement.