Survivors of an Indonesian passenger ferry fire recounted hearing multiple explosions just before the vessel caught fire on Sunday morning, leaving at least five people dead and several others missing. The ferry was traveling from Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, to Makassar on Sulawesi island when the incident occurred.

According to Nanang Sigit, head of the local search and rescue agency, there were 236 people on board at the time of departure. He reported that 229 passengers had been rescued and five bodies recovered, suggesting only two remained unaccounted for. However, figures from various officials have varied, with some earlier reports citing 41 people missing and an additional five dead out of a larger manifest listing 271 individuals. Arman Asmara Syarifuddin, an East Java police official, indicated that about 28 passengers were still missing, though the reasons for the discrepancies remain unclear.

The fire reportedly started in the stern of the ferry while passengers were having breakfast. Survivor Muhammad Abdul Karim described how smoke quickly filled the information room and sleeping quarters, followed by explosions that forced those on board to gather at the bow, where they were provided with life jackets. He recalled jumping into the sea with an elderly man as the flames spread, adding that there appeared to be no lifeboats available. Karim was rescued approximately seven hours later, drifting at sea in his life jacket.

Another survivor, Bambang Susilo, recounted feeling the fire approach the bow and the floor heating up, which led him and a female passenger to leap about 10 meters into the sea. Bambang and several others managed to swim roughly five kilometers to a rescue ship. Rescuers, supported by two Indonesian warships and a navy surveillance aircraft, have continued to search the waters for survivors more than 24 hours after the fire broke out. A rescue vessel was redeployed Monday to assist in locating those still missing.

Most evacuees were returned to Surabaya, a six-hour boat journey from where the ferry caught fire. Authorities planned to hold a news conference once the final search concluded, with hopes expressed that all passengers might be accounted for.

Marine accidents are relatively common in Indonesia due to the nation’s extensive archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, alongside challenges including variable weather and sometimes lax safety standards. Recently, a ferry carrying over 70 people sank near Selayar island, south of Sulawesi, resulting in at least four confirmed deaths and numerous missing persons.

Investigations into the cause of the fire and the exact number of casualties and missing passengers remain ongoing.