ki.news | Source: Xinhua

Jakarta
At least five people were killed and 41 remain missing after the passenger vessel Mutiara Santosa 2 caught fire in the Java Sea north of Madura Island in Indonesia’s East Java province, authorities said on Sunday.
According to Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, 225 people were rescued from the vessel, which was carrying 271 people, including 232 passengers and 39 crew members, on its journey from Surabaya to Makassar.
Officials said the vessel was about 19 nautical miles (35.2 kilometres) off the coast when it was engulfed in flames. Passengers gathered on the bridge and at the bow while waiting to be evacuated.
Nearby vessels responded immediately to assist in the rescue, while search and rescue teams deployed additional boats and personnel to locate survivors and those still unaccounted for.
The search operation is continuing, and authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.