Nov 18 UPDATE: Ferry MUTIARA TIMUR I sank in the afternoon Nov 17 after major fire, with 115 vehicles on board, mostly trucks. All people on board, including 237 passengers and 25 crew, were rescued. The ship actually, capsized and is resting on bottom by one of her side. There was an active firefighting before capsizing, with massive volumes of water poured onto ferry, so probably, she lost stability because of this water and vast areas of cargo deck or decks, with a lot of free surface. Ship’s hull remains partially above waterline.
November 16: Fire erupted on board of passenger ro-ro ferry MUTIARA TIMUR I with some 270 people on board in the afternoon Nov 16, some 2 nm off eastern coast of Bali island, Indonesia. Looks like fire broke on one of upper decks in fore section, and then spread further. People on board were to be evacuated, at least 3 rescue ships and boats gathered around disabled ferry. As of 1950 LT, ferry was either slowly moving ahead under own power, or under tow, towards port of destination Lembar, Lombok island. AIS is on. Ferry left Ketapang Java at around 0000 LT Nov 16.
Passenger ro-ro ship MUTIARA TIMUR I, IMO 9000912, GT 11523, built 1991, flag Indonesia.
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