Passenger Ferry Putri Yasmin Catches Fire at Sea, Resulting in Fatalities

The Indonesian ferry KMP Putri Yasmin, serving the Lembar (Lombok) to Padangbai (Bali) route, caught fire on Wednesday (12/8) at 04.20 WITA. Evacuation efforts are still ongoing. As of this afternoon, three victims have been evacuated to Lembar Port in Lombok, with one confirmed dead. To expedite the rescue, a number of vessels were deployed to the incident site near Sekotong Beach, West Lombok. Head of the Lembar Port Authority Office, Syamsurizal, stated that the evacuation point has been divided into two locations: Padangbai Port and Lembar Port. ‘Many ships are still evacuating, some are taken to Padangbai, some to Lembar,’ he explained. The rescue operation is being monitored directly through the Padangbai SROP and the Lembar VTS. Vessels involved in the initial response at the scene include the Port Link 2 ASDP, KMP. Muryati, MT. Debby, and MT. Yello Park. Syamsurizal noted that the involvement of nearby vessels is a crucial part of the emergency response.