Ferry With Over 50 Onboard Catches Fire, Passengers Jump Into Sea [Videos]

A passenger ferry with over 50 onboard caught fire a few minutes after it departed from the terminal in Langkawi island, Malaysia, on Monday. The ferry was plying between Langkawi and Kuala Perlis.

Marine department personnel, firemen, and nearby fishermen helped rescue the passengers, all of whom escaped unhurt.

The Kedah Fire and Rescue Department's operation center said a rescue team was dispatched to the scene immediately after receiving a report of fire. The blaze was first noticed by one of the passengers and many of them plunged into sea to escape after the blaze spread. Authorities were doing a head count to ensure all the passengers and crew were rescued.

"For now, we are also getting help from others boats and ferries plying similar route. Some of the passengers also jumped into sea to save themselves," a spokesperson of the fire department told the New Straits Times.

Tourism Langkawi pro-tem chairperson Ahmad Pishol said safety checks will be conducted on such vessels.

“As far as I can recall, this is the first time that a passenger ferry has caught fire,“ Pishol said, the Sun Daily reported.

Though the exact cause of the fire remained unknown, it was believed to have begun in the back of the ferry near the engine.

This is a developing story.