MANADO – The KM Barcelona 5 ferry caught fire Sundal afternoon while enroute to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, on its regular half-day journey from the port of Melonguane in the province’s Talaud Islands area.

Crews pulled several people from the sea and transported them to nearby islands, while local fishermen rescued some survivors wearing life jackets as they drifted in the rough waters.

Photos and videos circulating on social media showed terrified passengers, most wearing life jackets, jumping into the sea as flames and smoke billowed from the blazing ship.

Search and rescue operations were ongoing, although there were no immediate reports of missing persons. Authorities had previously reported five deaths, but the National Search and Rescue Agency revised the death toll to three early Monday morning after rescuing two passengers who were pronounced dead in hospital, including a two-month-old infant whose lungs were filled with seawater.