Jakarta: At least one person has died and 172 others have been rescued after a passenger ferry caught fire in Indonesia's Lombok Strait while travelling from Bali to Lombok, authorities said on Wednesday.

The KM Putri Yasmin departed from Padangbai Port in Bali and was headed to Lembar Port in Lombok when the fire broke out at around 4:39 a.m. local time, according to Muhammad Hariyadi, head of the local rescue agency.

By Wednesday afternoon, rescue teams had evacuated 172 passengers and crew to ports in Bali and Lombok. Authorities confirmed that the deceased was an Indonesian national. Among the survivors, one was an Australian citizen, while the rest were Indonesians.

More than 200 rescue personnel, supported by several boats, were deployed to carry out evacuation operations and search for any remaining passengers.

Questions Over Passenger Count

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, and officials are investigating whether overcrowding may have contributed to the incident.

According to port officials, the ferry's manifest listed 114 passengers and 17 crew members a total of 131 people. However, rescue teams evacuated 172 individuals, raising fresh concerns over unregistered passengers and safety compliance.

Safety Concerns Resurface

The latest incident comes less than a month after another Indonesian ferry, KM Mutiara Sentosa 2, caught fire near Madura Island, killing five people. That vessel was also found to be carrying more passengers than officially recorded.

Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, depends heavily on ferries for inter island transport. However, the country has witnessed frequent maritime accidents in recent years due to overcrowding, poor enforcement of safety regulations, and inadequate maintenance standards.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire and are continuing search operations to ensure no passengers remain missing.