Rescuers evacuated all passengers and crew from a ferry that caught fire on Tuesday as it neared Merak Port in Banten province, western Indonesia. A thick plume of smoke rose from the KMP Batumandi, which was about to dock. No deaths were reported.
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The vessel had left Bakauheni, on the southern tip of Sumatra, at about 2.52pm. Staff on shore spotted flames near the stern roughly two hours later. The operator said the evacuation was completed within an hour.
One passenger said the smoke thickened, it became hard to breathe and diesel was leaking from the ceiling. The cause of the blaze is not yet known. Port authorities, the search and rescue agency and police are still handling the situation.
