A passenger ferry caught fire just minutes after it left port in Malaysia's Langkawi district on Monday, February 25.
The incident occurred at around 14:40 local time when the blaze erupted just as Dragon Star 1 had sailed out to 500 metres from Langkawi's Kuah Terminal.
The local fire and rescue department received word of the blaze via a mobile phone call from one of the passengers at 14:48 and despatched a team of first responders eight minutes later.
Firefighting boats, boats from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), and nearby commercial vessels came to the aid of the burning ferry and managed to rescue all 58 passengers and crew.
No injuries have been reported aside from two people who were rushed to hospital to be treated for excessive smoke inhalation.
A preliminary investigation by the Langkawi Police and the Kedah Fire and Rescue Department revealed the fire had originated in Dragon Star 1's engine room.
The extent of the damage and whether there were other factors that led to the blaze will be disclosed upon the conclusion of the ongoing forensic investigation, Langkawi's police chief said.
