TEMPO.CO, North Sulawesi - The KM Barcelona V, which left Manado Port bound for Tahuna in the Talaud Islands, caught fire in the waters of North Minahasa on Sunday, July 20, 2025, at 02:30 PM WITA (Eastern Indonesia TIme). The fire claimed the lives of four passengers.
“Based on the data we received, four passengers died in the incident. Their bodies are being evacuated to Likupang. One of the bodies has not arrived yet,” said North Minahasa Regent Joune J.E. Ganda on Sunday.
Captain Named as Suspect
The North Sulawesi Regional Police have named the captain of KM Barcelona V as a suspect. “Following the case review by the Directorate of Sea and Air Police, one suspect with the initials IB has been identified,” said Police Public Relations Chief Grand Commissioner Alamsyah P. Hasibuan on Monday, July 21, quoting Antara.
Authorities have questioned 13 crew members following the fire. “The rest are still under investigation,” he added.
Captain IB is suspected of violating passenger regulations and failing to follow the emergency standard operating procedures.
Transportation Ministry Launches Probe
Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi instructed the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) to investigate the cause of the fire. As of Monday afternoon, smoke was still billowing from the ship. “All relevant parties are still working to fully extinguish it,” Dudy said.
Director General of Sea Transportation Muhammad Masyhud confirmed that all passengers had been accounted for. “A detailed report will follow once the data collection is complete,” he stated.
On Sunday, Masyhud noted that six vessels assisted in evacuating passengers. “Various search and rescue units and maritime safety teams were deployed to the location,” he said.
Passenger Saves Toddler Amid Fire
Abdul Rahman, one of the passengers, managed to rescue a toddler during the chaos. As passengers jumped into the sea, he swam toward a mother holding a child and took the toddler to safety.
“I saw the mother about 50 meters away. I didn’t hesitate—I swam toward her and took the child,” he recalled on Monday.
Moments Before the Fire
The ship had entered the waters of Likupang, North Minahasa, and was nearing Manado Port when the fire broke out. A loudspeaker announcement had instructed passengers to return to their cabins for a ticket inspection.
“The atmosphere was calm at first, but panic broke out when someone shouted that there was a fire on deck three,” said Abdul Rahman, who was on deck two at the time.
The ship had departed from Lirung Port in the Talaud Islands the night before. At 01:30 PM WITA, it was in the waters of Likupang when the fire erupted on deck three, prompting many passengers to leap into the sea.
Dani Aswara and Budhy Nurgianto contributed to the writing of this article.
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