Jakarta, July 21 -- An engine room explosion is suspected to have caused the fire onboard the KM Barcelona in waters off Manado, North Sulawesi, on Sunday (July 20), according to an Indonesian Navy official.

"There may have been an explosion. Everyone is confused. It certainly seems the explosion occurred in the engine room," Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Fleet Command (Koarmada) Rear Admiral Eko Wahjono stated at the Muara Angke fishing village, North Jakarta, on Monday.

However, Wahjono declined to elaborate on the precise cause of the explosion, emphasizing that his team's immediate focus was solely on assisting with the evacuation process to ensure the safety of all passengers aboard the KM Barcelona.

Earlier, Commander of the I...