VIDEO | Five dead after fire erupts on ferry off North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Fatal ferry accidents are not uncommon in Indonesia, though data gathered by ferry safety advocate and Baird Maritime Co-Founder Dr Neil Baird showed that the total death tolls of ferry accidents in the country's waters have decreased significantly over the last couple of years.

"In stark comparison, the once worst performing nations of the Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and China had no to negligible fatal ferry accidents with similarly small death tolls again in 2024," Dr Baird wrote earlier this year.

"Their governments are to be congratulated on their very successful efforts to make ferry travel much safer. Their combined total of accidents was eight in 2024 with a total of 84 known fatalities arising.