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JAKARTA: At least three people were killed and about 150 others rescued after a passenger ship caught fire in the waters of Indonesia's North Sulawesi province on Sunday, according to Veri Ariyanto, a senior official at the provincial Search and Rescue Office.

"Three people were killed, and nearly 150 were rescued safely. They were rescued by the joint rescue team and local fishermen's boats," he told Xinhua.

The search and rescue operation is still underway. Two ships, several rigid inflatable boats, and other vessels have been deployed, Ariyanto said.

The ship, KM Barcelona 5, caught fire while sailing in the waters off Manado, the capital city of the province, at around 1:00 pm local time, Dani Repi, head of the quick reaction team of the provincial Disaster Management and Mitigation Agency, said.