JAKARTA, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- A passenger ferry caught fire in waters off Merak, at the western tip of Indonesia's Java island, on Tuesday afternoon, with evacuation efforts underway, the Banten Search and Rescue Agency told Xinhua.
The ferry caught fire near Merak Besar Island in Banten province, the agency said, adding that authorities were focusing on evacuating those aboard. The number of passengers and crew on board, possible casualties and the cause of the fire were not immediately known.
Merak is a major ferry port connecting Java and Sumatra islands across the Sunda Strait, one of Indonesia's busiest ferry routes.■
