The vessel, identified as the KM Umsini, was en route from Makassar to Baubau when the blaze broke out early Sunday morning, prompting a chaotic evacuation.
According to the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the fire began in the engine room around 2am local time. Smoke quickly engulfed the upper decks, forcing many of the 200-plus passengers to jump overboard.
Rescue teams managed to evacuate more than 180 people, with some suffering from burns and smoke inhalation. At least five bodies have been recovered from the water and authorities say the death toll could rise as search operations continue.
Dramatic video footage shared on social media showed flames leaping from the stern of the ferry as passengers clung to life vests in the dark waters.
Transport Ministry spokesperson Adita Irawati said an investigation had been launched into the cause of the fire and whether safety protocols had been followed.
“We are working closely with maritime authorities to determine what went wrong,” she said.
Ferry disasters are not uncommon in Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where sea travel remains a vital – but often underregulated – mode of transport.
This latest tragedy has reignited concerns about maritime safety and the enforcement of passenger limits on ferries.
It comes just a day after 35 people were killed when a tour boat sank in Halong Bay in Vietnam. A search is continuing for four people still missing.
The Wonder Sea, carrying 46 passengers and three crew, sailed on Saturday afternoon for a three-hour excursion but ran into a storm.
The VNExpress newspaper reported that most of the passengers were tourists from Hanoi, including about 20 children.
