Five lives lost, 41 missing as Indonesian ferry erupts in flames off Madura island.
The passenger vessel, carrying 271 people, was heading from Surabaya, the country’s second‑largest city, towards Makassar in South Sulawesi when the blaze broke out.
Rescue crews from the National Search and Rescue Agency, Basarnas, confirmed five casualties while 41 passengers remain unaccounted for.
Video from local broadcaster iNews shows passengers in life jackets aboard a lifeboat as smoke and flames rise from the ship.
Authorities are coordinating search efforts in the off‑shore waters; updates are expected as the situation unfolds.
