Passenger motorboat KMP Royce 1 caught fire while sailing from Merak Port, Banten to Bakauheni Port, Lampung in the waters of Sunda Strait on Saturday at around 3:45 pm local time. The boat was carrying thousands of passengers who were in a panic and seen trying to flee.

A video shows the passengers' panic on board during the fire. A joint SAR team is seen trying to evacuate the passengers. As of the time of writing, the SAR team is still evacuating thousands of passengers from the boat.

In an official statement, PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry stated that KMP Royce 1 caught fire when it was about to sail across the waters of Pulau Tempurung, Merak. The fire has now been extinguished and evacuation efforts are still ongoing.

This boat fire incident has caused concern among the public, especially the families of the passengers who are waiting for news from their loved ones. Authorities are expected to provide transparent information regarding the chronology of the incident and the condition of the passengers who have been evacuated from the boat.

Meanwhile, PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry will provide further information on this incident after conducting a thorough investigation. Hopefully, this incident will serve as a lesson for all parties involved to enhance maritime safety in order to provide better and safer services for the public.