Overview

• On July 20, a blaze erupted aboard the KM Barcelona 5 ferry off North Sulawesi as it traveled from the Talaud Islands to Manado City.
• Initial reports of five fatalities were revised by the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency to three confirmed deaths by July 21.
• The agency updated its survivor count to 568, more than double its first tally of 284 rescued passengers.
• Passengers donned life jackets and jumped into the sea, with some pulled aboard by fishing vessels before coast guard ships arrived.
• The fire’s cause remains under investigation as officials highlight Indonesia’s lax ferry safety standards and note a spate of recent maritime disasters.