A search and rescue operation for 34 missing people continued Saturday after a passenger ship caught fire off East Java province in central Indonesia, leaving at least four people dead, an official said.

The ship, KM Santika Nusantara, caught fire while passing off Maselembu in Sumenep district on Thursday night. The fire kept burning until Friday before it was doused, head of communication for media at the national search and rescue office Yusuf Latief said.

"We have deployed at least two ships. Several other vessels have also been involved in this mission. The focus of the operation is searching for the victims around the scene," he told Xinhua via phone.

Personnel from military, police, search and rescue office, sea port in the province as well as sailors are engaged in the operation, said Yusuf.

"We have established a command post in Surabaya city in East Java to receive reports from relatives about their missing family members," the official said.

So far, a total of 303 people have been rescued, head of operation section of the provincial search and rescue office Supriono Mesiham told Xinhua by phone.

The number of survivors exceeded those on the list of passengers as it is commonly found in the country.

The ship was en route to a sea port in balikpapan of East Kalimantan province.