Archive · 12 Aug 2026
One Dead, 172 Rescued After Indonesian Ferry Fire off Lombok
A big boat called the KM Putri Yasmin was sailing from the island of Bali to the island of Lombok in Indonesia.
Early on Wednesday morning, the boat caught fire while it was in the water between the two islands, which is called the Lombok Strait.
Rescue workers quickly used boats to help everyone get off.
By the afternoon, they had rescued 172 people, though one report said 212 people were saved.
Sadly, one person from Indonesia died.
The boat's list said there were 114 passengers and 17 crew members, about 130 people in total.
More than 200 people helped with the rescue, and other nearby boats joined in.
Most of the people saved were from Indonesia, and one was from Australia.
Nobody knows yet what caused the fire or if too many people were on the boat.
This happened less than a month after another ferry in Indonesia caught fire and five people died, so some people are worried about ferry safety.
The KM Putri Yasmin ferry caught fire in the Lombok Strait at 4:39 a.m. Wednesday while travelling from Padangbai port in Bali to Lembar port in Lombok, Indonesia.
One Indonesian was confirmed dead, and reports said 172 people had been evacuated by Wednesday afternoon, though one account put the number evacuated at 212.
The ferry's manifest listed 114 passengers and 17 crew, about 130 people total, and officials said it was unclear whether overcrowding was a factor.
More than 200 personnel and several boats were deployed in the evacuation; the survivors were mostly Indonesian, including one Australian.
The cause of the fire remained unclear; it came less than a month after the KM Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry caught fire off Madura island, killing five people.
- Who
- The roughly 130 people on board the KM Putri Yasmin ferry (114 passengers and 17 crew), with rescue efforts led by Muhammad Hariyadi, head of the West Nusa Tenggara rescue agency.
- What
- The ferry caught fire in the Lombok Strait; 172 people (one report said 212) were evacuated and one Indonesian was confirmed dead.
- When
- Wednesday, August 12, with the fire starting at 4:39 a.m. local time (2039 GMT Tuesday).
- Where
- The Lombok Strait, off Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, as the ferry travelled from Padangbai port in Bali to Lembar port in Lombok.
- Why
- The cause of the fire was unclear, and officials said it was unknown whether overcrowding was a factor.
- Ship name
- KM Putri Yasmin
- Route
- Padangbai port, Bali, to Lembar port, Lombok
- Fire start time
- 4:39 a.m. Wednesday local (2039 GMT Tuesday)
- Confirmed deaths
- 1 (Indonesian)
- People evacuated
- 172 (one report said 212)
- Manifest
- 114 passengers and 17 crew (about 130 total)
- Rescue personnel
- More than 200
- Cause of fire
- Unclear; overcrowding unknown
