KMP Putri Yasmin terbakar di laut Selat Lombok

The passenger ferry KMP Putri Yasmin caught fire in the waters off Sekotong, West Lombok, on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, prompting a multi-agency marine rescue operation in the Lombok Strait as passengers donned life jackets and sought safety.

Panic gripped the early morning hours in the Lombok Strait when a passenger ferry carrying more than one hundred people on a routine crossing caught fire. The vessel, identified as the Passenger Motor Vessel Putri Yasmin, was traveling from Padangbai in Bali toward Lembar in West Lombok when thick black smoke began billowing into the sky.

Emergency Distress Calls and Initial Maritime Response

The incident began unfolding at approximately 04:15 Wita on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Shortly after the flames broke out, the Vessel Traffic Services facility in Benoa and the Coastal Radio Station in Padangbai broadcast emergency distress calls three times to alert nearby vessels to provide immediate assistance. The Mataram Search and Rescue Office received the official emergency report at 04:39 Wita from Nurdin, the captain of Rescue Boat 220 Mataram.

I Ketut Aries Nakula Mandiana, Acting Head of Class II Type A Benoa District Navigation Office, stated that shortly after the information was received at 04.

One passenger recorded the tense moments on video, exclaiming, Hancur sudah. Allahu Akbar, as fellow travelers braced for the unfolding emergency.

Coordinated Rescue Operations in the Lombok Strait

Emergency responders established precise coordinates for the disaster zone. The burning ferry was located at 8°43’12.37S – 115°47'35.93E in the waters of Sekotong Beach, sitting at a straight-line distance of approximately 16.84 nautical miles from the position of Rescue Boat 220 Mataram.

Photo: Kompas

The Mataram Search and Rescue Office mobilized quickly following the alert. Spokesperson I Gusti Lanang Wiswananda outlined the initial deployment timeline, noting that the rescue team departed at 04:45 Wita and reached the coordinates shortly thereafter.

Head of the Mataram Search and Rescue Office Muhamad Hariyadi detailed the marine assets dispatched to the scene, stating that the agency deployed Rescue Boat 220 Mataram, Rigid Inflatable Boats, and Rigid Buoyancy Boats to extract passengers and coordinate with vessels in the vicinity.

Deployment of Air Support and Commercial Vessels

To broaden the scope of the search and rescue effort, regional authorities brought in aerial assets and heavy marine traffic. The Denpasar Search and Rescue Office dispatched the vessel KN SAR Arjuna 229 from Benoa Port at 08:00 Wita, followed by an SGi Air Bali helicopter that took off at 09.50 Wita to conduct aerial surveillance over the search area.

Photo: Kompas.id

I Nyoman Sidakarya, Head of the Denpasar Search and Rescue Office, reported that the KN SAR Arjuna 229 departed from Benoa Port at 08:00 Wita and the SGi Air Bali helicopter took off at 09.

Commercial ships operating in the strait also diverted to aid the stricken ferry. Vessels including KMP Portlink II, KMP Muryati, Motor Tanker Debby, Motor Tanker Yello Park, and local yachts joined the rescue grid. Syamsurizal, head of the Class II Lembar Port Authority and Seaport Office, emphasized the importance of this multi-sector response, noting that the involvement of nearby ships was vital for supporting emergency rescue efforts.

Evacuation Progress and Ongoing Investigation

Early evacuation efforts succeeded in transferring dozens of stranded travelers to safety. State ferry operator PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry confirmed that KMP Portlink II successfully rescued 35 individuals, including three infants, who were subsequently transported back to the ASDP office at Padangbai Port in Karangasem, Bali. Additional evacuations continued as joint teams worked across both the Bali and Lombok sides of the strait.

Authorities have not yet determined the official cause of the fire. Officials from the Directorate General of Sea Transportation under the Ministry of Transportation, alongside local law enforcement and port authorities, stated that the exact origin of the blaze and a finalized manifest count remain under active investigation as joint personnel finish securing the area.