Aussie describes 'massive flames' and drifting for four hours with broken ribs after Bali ferry catches fire

By KYLIE STEVENS, SENIOR BREAKING NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA and ASHLEY NICKEL, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 22:35, 12 August 2026 | Updated: 22:45, 12 August 2026 An Australian man who survived a deadly ferry fire off Bali, Indonesia, has described the 'massive' flames and floating for hours after the incident. More than 170 people were evacuated from the KMP Putri Yasmin ferry on Wednesday after it caught fire while travelling from Padang Bai to Lembar on Lombok. The ship caught fire at about 4.20am, local time, amid rough conditions, with waves reaching up to four metres.  Indonesian authorities confirmed the death of an Indonesian woman and the successful evacuation of 172 people, including three infants, to ports on Bali and Lombok.  Two Australians were on board, a 20-year-old woman and James Scooth, who suffered broken ribs after jumping from the burning vessel.  He then spent four hours floating at sea until he was eventually pulled from the water. 'Big flames. Just massive, big. And then everyone panics and just rips (out their) life jackets. No lifeboats. No boats,' he told 7News. '(I was) just floating. Four hours or something. Four hours I think.' James Scooth was one of two Australians on board when the KMP Putri Yasmin burst into flames off Bali on Wednesday  Smoke was still billowing from the burning ferry hours later  One woman died, while the 172 other passengers on board were safely evacuated An Indonesian woman said she only had time to save her child, while one rescuer described being left 'speechless' by the efforts to save passengers.  'I still feel the trauma,' they said.  Footage released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed people in life jackets crowded on an inflatable life raft in choppy seas. Thick black smoke billowed from the burning ferry.  KMP Putri Yasmin was carrying 114 passengers, 17 crew, 44 vehicles and 53 motorcycles when the fire broke out, according to passenger data.  An emergency call was issued almost half an hour after the ship caught alight, triggering an immediate rescue response. Rescue personnel were assisted by Indonesian navy ships, patrol boats, rescue vessels and a helicopter. Authorities have not yet determined how the ferry caught fire and it remains unclear whether overcrowding played any role in the incident.  'Our thoughts are with those affected by the ferry fire off the coast of Bali, Indonesia,' a spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said. Dozens of survivors spent hours crowded on an inflatable raft Young children were among those plucked to safety 'Australian officials are in contact with local authorities and are making urgent enquiries to confirm if any Australians were affected.'  Indonesian authorities have launched an investigation into what sparked the blaze. 'The findings will be thoroughly reviewed as part of the ministry's evaluation,' Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said. 'This is a serious issue that will be thoroughly investigated.' It was the second deadly Indonesian ferry fire in as many weeks. Earlier this month, a vessel carrying 271 passengers between East Java and South Sulawesi caught fire, killing five people.