Indonesia Ferry Fire Kills 11
A crowded ferry caught fire in Indonesia early Friday, killing at least 11 people and sending panicked passengers jumping into the sea, officials said. Nearly 200 people were injured, some critically.
Bambang Ervan, a spokesman for the Transportation Ministry, said the blaze broke out at around 3 a.m., just 40 minutes after the loaded down ship left Merak port on Java island for neighboring Sumatra.
Billowing clouds of black smoke could be seen from the shore, less than two miles (three kilometers) away, and five rescue ships rushed to the scene.
By late morning, 427 people had been shuttled to safety, said Wiratno, another ministry official, adding that no one else appeared to be trapped inside. The cause of the accident was not immediately clear.