Explosion on Bali tourist boat kills one and injures several

At least one person died and 19 others were horrifically wounded in an explosion on a tourist boat between the Indonesian islands of Bali and Lombok.

It is not known what caused the blast, but police say they do not believe it was a bomb.

Reports from the incident have been confusing, with initial statements suggesting that two people died. According to the BBC, there was one foreign female victim, possibly German, but her nationality has yet to be officially confirmed.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Indonesia has "a poor maritime safety record", notes the broadcaster. Some reports say a battery may have short-circuited above a fuel tank, causing it to blow up.

The Gili Cat 2 boat was carrying at least 30 passengers – all of them foreigners – and four crew when the incident happened just 200m into its journey to the island of Gili Trawangan.

A passenger document shows there were tourists from the UK, France, Italy, Portugal, Ireland and Spain on board.

Photographs of badly-injured victims being carried ashore have been widely shared on social media.

Police chief Sugeng Sudarso said the victims were being taken to a clinic in Manggis Village. "Many victims [are] injured, mostly foreigners. One female passenger died from head injuries," he said.

"We are still investigating the cause of the explosion – whether there is any element of intent or negligence."

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are providing consular assistance to British nationals affected by an explosion on a ferry off the coast of Bali."