3 dead, 150 rescued after ferry catches fire in waters off Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province

At least three people were killed and around 150 others rescued after a passenger ship caught fire in the waters off Indonesia's North Sulawesi province on Sunday, officials and local media reported.

Search and rescue efforts are underway, with several boats, rigid inflatable boats, and other vessels deployed, Veri Ariyanto, a senior official at the provincial search and rescue office, told reporters.

The fire broke out on board a ferry named Barcelona, carrying 280 people, near Talisei Island, about 60 kilometers (37.3 miles) from the provincial capital, Manado local English daily The Jakarta Globe reported.

Several passengers were rescued and evacuated to nearby Ganga Island.

This is the third such accidents this month, coming weeks after another passenger ferry sank in the Bali Strait, leaving about 35 people dead or missing.