• Three lives lost in a ferry fire off the coast of North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
• More than 568 passengers rescued while many jumped overboard to escape flames.
• The ferry, KM Barcelona 5, was reportedly carrying over its declared capacity of 280.
• Calls for urgent safety reforms in Indonesia's maritime transport sector have intensified.
• Recent incidents raise concerns over lax safety enforcement and aging fleets.

An Indonesian ferry fire has resulted in the deaths of at least three people, with reports indicating that the KM Barcelona 5 was carrying more than 560 passengers at the time of the incident off the coast of North Sulawesi. Eyewitness accounts describe chaotic scenes as passengers jumped into the sea while flames engulfed the vessel, which was en route from Melonguane to Manado according to Channel News Asia and Africanews.

The ferry reportedly had a manifest that listed only 280 passengers and 15 crew members, leading to questions about safety protocols and regulations, particularly in light of an ongoing trend of exceeding capacity in Indonesian ferries, as emphasized by South China Morning Post and Dawn.

Initial reports suggested as many as five fatalities, but this number was later revised down to three, including a noted case of a pregnant woman who did not survive. Rescue efforts were coordinated by a joint team comprising the Indonesian Coast Guard, military personnel, and local fishermen, showcasing the communal response to the disaster, reported by Al Jazeera and The Jakarta Post.

As the Ministry of Transportation calls for a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire, analysts are renewing debates around the need for systemic reforms in Indonesia's maritime regulations, potential solutions such as implementing cross-subsidies for ferry services, and improving the safety standards, as articulated by CBS News and South China Morning Post.

Moreover, various officials have lamented the longstanding issues of poorly enforced safety regulations in Indonesia's extensive maritime transport system, highlighting that frequent incidents underline the urgent need for comprehensive reform to prevent future tragedies like this one, a sentiment echoed in multiple sources including Los Angeles Times.