JAKARTA, Indonesia — A crowded ferry caught fire in Indonesia early Friday, killing at least 11 people and sending panicked passengers jumping into the sea, officials said. Nearly 200 people were injured, some critically.
Bambang Ervan, a spokesman for the Transportation Ministry, said the fire broke out at around 3 a.m., soon after the ferry left Merak port on Java island for neighboring Sumatra.
Five rescue ships rushed to the scene.
By late morning, they had carried 427 people to safety, said Wiratno, another ministry official, adding that no one else appeared to be trapped inside.
Footage on MetroTV showed plumes of black clouds shooting from the ferry, which was also carrying dozens of cars and trucks packed with cargo.
Some survivors said the blaze was sparked by a truck driver who threw his cigarette butt onto the ground.
Roland, a doctor at one of several hospitals treating victims, said 11 bodies had been recovered.
An Indonesian newspaper showed an image of the ferry with its topsides burned as a tugboat sprayed water on it.
The Sunda Strait lies between Java and Sumatra. Merak is on Java just west of Jakarta.
Ferries are a main source of transportation in Indonesia, an archipelago nation with more than 17,000 islands and 235 million people.
Accidents are common due to overcrowding and poor safety standards.
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