Jakarta, Jul 20: At least three people were killed and about 150 others rescued after a passenger ship caught fire in the waters of Indonesia's North Sulawesi province on Sunday, according to Veri Ariyanto, a senior official at the provincial Search and Rescue Office.

"Three people were killed, and nearly 150 were rescued safely. They were rescued by the joint rescue team and local fishermen's boats," he told Xinhua.

The search and rescue operation is still underway. Two ships, several rigid inflatable boats, and other vessels have been deployed, Ariyanto said.

The ship, KM Barcelona 5, caught fire while sailing in the waters off Manado, the capital city of the province, at around 1:00 pm local time, Dani Repi, head of the quick reaction team of the provincial Disaster Management and Mitigation Agency, said.

Approximately 280 people were on board, he said, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a similar incident on July 3, at least three people were killed, four others survived, and 58 were reported missing after a wooden passenger ship capsized near Indonesia's Bali Island before midnight.

The vessel, Tunu Pratama Jaya Penumpang Motor, was struck by huge waves while sailing along the maritime border between Bali and East Java provinces, said I Nyoman Sidakarya, head of the Search and Rescue Office in Bali

"Three people were found dead, and four others were rescued alive," Nyoman told Xinhua via telephone.

The ship had departed from a port in Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, and was en route to a port in Gilimanuk village, Jembrana Regency, Bali. According to Nyoman, strong currents and large waves caused the vessel to capsize completely.

Search and rescue operations are currently underway, involving teams from both Bali and East Java. A total of 35 rescuers from Bali have been deployed, along with a rescue ship and a rubber boat.

Nyoman stated that the ship was carrying 53 passengers and 12 crew members at the time of the incident.

(IANS)

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