A passenger ferry carrying 271 people caught fire off the Indonesian coast on Sunday, leaving at least five dead and 41 unaccounted for after a rescue operation involving passing vessels and the navy.
Blaze aboard the Mutiara Sentosa 2
The Mutiara Sentosa 2 was sailing from Surabaya in East Java to Makassar in South Sulawesi with 232 passengers and 39 crew members when the fire broke out between 6am and 7am local time in waters off Sumenep regency, according to Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas).
The ferry operator, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, reported the incident to the Surabaya search and rescue office about an hour later. Basarnas said the company heard from the ship's captain that the vessel was on fire near the northern tip of Madura island, but contact was later lost.
Rescue and evacuation
By 9.45am, authorities determined the ferry was about 19 nautical miles north of Buruan Sapudi island after making contact with the nearby cargo ship Meratus Project 3, which could not approach closely because it was carrying a flammable load. A tugboat and another passing vessel began evacuating passengers shortly before 10am, the agency said.
Footage released by Basarnas showed thick black smoke billowing from one side of the vessel and spreading across much of the ship. Videos on social media showed terrified passengers, most wearing life jackets, packed on the deck and upper sections, with some jumping into the sea as flames and smoke rose. The ferry was reported to be nearly engulfed, with passengers gathered on the bridge and bow.
Casualties and missing
By Sunday afternoon, nearby vessels had rescued 225 passengers and crew and recovered five bodies. At least 41 people remained unaccounted for, according to Basarnas. The cause of the fire was not immediately known and remained under investigation.
Search efforts and background
Search and rescue teams dispatched a vessel from Surabaya, though officials estimated it would take about six hours to reach the scene. A rigid inflatable boat from the Sumenep rescue post turned back because of rough seas and high waves. The Indonesian navy also deployed a warship to assist.
The ferry, measuring 160 metres (525 feet) long and 25 metres (82 feet) wide, serves the Surabaya-Makassar route, a voyage that typically takes around 40 hours and is primarily used by domestic travellers and cargo transport between Java and Sulawesi. Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferries, and accidents occur regularly, with weak safety enforcement often blamed.
