Multiple deaths in Indonesian ferry fire

  • 02/01/2017
Indonesia ferry fire
The charred remains of the ferry (AAP)

At least 23 people have been killed and 17 others are missing after a ferry caught fire off the coast of Indonesia's capital Jakarta, officials said.

The vessel was carrying more than 230 people from the port of Muara Angke to Tidung, a resort island, when it caught fire, officials said.

Most of the passengers were Indonesians celebrating the New Year's holiday, according to local media reports.

Seply Madreta, a local official, said the fire gutted around half the ship.

He said that about 22 injured victims were rushed to hospitals, and that 23 bodies had been recovered.

A search involving around 10 ships was underway to find those who were missing, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said.

Witnesses told local TV that the fire broke out about 15 minutes after the ship left Muara Angke.

The cause of the fire was not immediately clear. Some passengers told local media that they first saw smoke coming from the ferry's engine.

TV footage showed people in the water with the ferry in flames in the background. A woman in the water can be heard screaming "Ya Allah! Ya Allah!" or "Oh God! Oh God!"

Another woman told the TV station that she and other passengers were rescued by a small boat.

AP