Merak:All 460 passengers and crew members were evacuated in an hours-long rescue operation after a passenger ferry caught fire off Indonesia's Java island on Tuesday.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, the ferry, KMP Batumandi, was carrying 420 passengers and 40 crew members when it caught fire near Merak Besar Island in Banten province. The local English-language daily Jakarta Globe reported the incident, citing rescue officials.

A total of 18 vessels and supporting units, including rescue boats, tugboats, patrol vessels, and fishing boats, were deployed for the evacuation and firefighting operation. Footage aired by multiple broadcasters showed thick black smoke billowing from the vessel and panicked passengers scrambling for safety.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Merak is a significant ferry port connecting the islands of Java and Sumatra across the Sunda Strait, one of Indonesia's busiest ferry routes. Indonesia, consisting of more than 17,000 islands, has a long history of maritime accidents. More than 80 people were killed when a ferry capsized in the Java Sea last month.