An Indonesian passenger ferry carrying 271 people caught fire on Sunday in waters off the main island of Java, resulting in at least five deaths and leaving dozens missing, according to Apnews, the country’s National Search and Rescue Agency. The vessel, named the KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2, was traveling from Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city in East Java, to Makassar in South Sulawesi when the disaster struck.
Tragic Ferry Fire Leaves Five Dead and Dozens Missing Off Java
The ferry was transporting 232 passengers, 39 crew members, and 181 vehicles—mostly trucks—along with an excavator. The fire broke out between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. in waters off Sumenep regency, near the northern tip of Madura island. The ferry operator, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, notified the Surabaya search and rescue office about an hour after the blaze began, reporting that contact with the captain had subsequently been lost.
Rescue Operations and Evacuation Efforts at Sea
As orange flames and thick black smoke engulfed the vessel, terrified passengers wearing life jackets clustered on the bridge, bow, and upper sections of the ship. Video footage circulated on social media showed some individuals jumping into the sea as lifebuoys were deployed.
Passing vessels and a tugboat moved in to assist, evacuating people shortly before 10 a.m. By Sunday evening, nearby vessels had rescued between 225 and 227 passengers and crew members, while recovering five bodies. Estimates of the missing ranged from 39 to 41 people. Four other vessels stood by near the burning ship but were unable to approach closely due to the dangerous flammable load on board, while a nearby cargo vessel, the Meratus Project 3, communicated with authorities to establish the ferry’s location at approximately 19 nautical miles north of Buruan Sapudi island.
The safety of passengers and crew is our top priority. We are continuously coordinating with all relevant parties to ensure that the evacuation process can proceed quickly, safely, and effectively,
said Muhammad Masyhud, a senior official at the Ministry of Transportation, in a statement.
Search and rescue teams dispatched a rescue vessel from Surabaya, though officials noted the journey would take approximately six hours. A rigid inflatable boat sent from the Sumenep rescue post was forced to return to shore due to rough seas and high waves, and the Indonesian Navy deployed a warship to assist.
Survivor Accounts and Vessel Background
Ahmad Abdul Karim, a survivor of the disaster, stated that the fire appeared to originate from a truck located on the lower vehicle deck. Someone came up from the lower deck and told us there was a fire. When we went down to check, two vehicles were already burning,
Karim recalled. Fanned by the wind, the flames spread extremely quickly. In less than 30 minutes, everyone had been instructed to move to the bow of the ferry.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known, and authorities confirmed that an investigation remains ongoing. The 160-meter-long (525 feet) and 25-meter-wide (82 feet) ferry was built in Japan in 1992, initially operating on the Osaka-Shinmoji route as the “Ferry Osaka” before being acquired in Indonesia in 2015.
Indonesia is an extensive archipelago consisting of more than 17,000 islands where maritime transport is essential, though marine disasters occur regularly amid criticisms regarding weak safety enforcement.
