Watch: Indonesian ferry packed with 300 bursts into flames, passengers forced to jump into sea

Panic gripped passengers on board an Indonesian ferry after it caught hearth mid-sea close to Southeast Sulawesi on Sunday. The vessel, reportedly carrying almost 300 passengers, was en route from Kendari to Makassar when flames erupted, prompting emergency evacuation efforts.Local authorities stated no less than 18 individuals have been injured, many affected by burns and smoke inhalation through the chaos that adopted the hearth outbreak. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported to date.Videos circulating on social media confirmed terrified passengers leaping into the sea as thick black smoke engulfed the vessel. Other footage confirmed individuals scrambling to put on life jackets, whereas some frantically made telephone calls.“According to initial information, the fire is located off Talise Island,” stated Jerry Harmonsina, secretary of the North Sulawesi regional catastrophe administration company, in a press release to native media outlet Detik. The hearth reportedly broke out on Sunday afternoon.Rescue efforts are underway. Harmonsina confirmed that groups from the Navy, National Search and Rescue Agency, Coast Guard, and even native fishermen are aiding in evacuating passengers from the burning vessel.The precise explanation for the hearth stays unclear. Local authorities have but to present a confirmed depend of passengers rescued.Indonesia, an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, usually depends closely on ferries for inter-island transport, the place security lapses are widespread regardless of repeated warnings.