At least five dead and 41 missing after ferry fire off Indonesia's Madura island

Indonesian search and rescue teams are searching for 41 missing passengers after a ferry carrying 271 people caught fire off the coast of Madura island. Indonesian authorities confirmed that at least five individuals have died in the incident.

The vessel was traveling from Surabaya in East Java toward Makassar in South Sulawesi when the blaze broke out at sea. Emergency crews continue operating in the area to locate survivors while the vessel remains engulfed in flames.

Accidents involving passenger ferries are relatively frequent across Indonesia's archipelago of over 17,000 islands, often linked to lax safety enforcement and unpredictable weather conditions.

Sources: La Vanguardia, NRK, Sweden Herald