**Key Facts:**
– Ferry: Mutiara Sentosa 2
– Location: Waters off Madura Island, northern coast of Sumenep, East Java
– Date: Sunday, August 2
– Time: Between 6-7 a.m. local time
– Passengers/crew: 271 total (232 passengers, 39 crew)
– Route: Surabaya to Makassar
– Deaths: 5 confirmed
– Missing: 41
– Rescued: 225
– Operator: PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran
**Key Quotes from Officials:**
– Nanang Sigit (Surabaya Search and Rescue Office Chief): Direct quotes about rescue operations
– Muhammad Masyhud (Ministry of Transportation): “Based on preliminary reports from the field, passengers are waiting to be evacuated by the vessels in the vicinity of the incident site…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.”
An Indonesian ferry carrying 271 people caught fire in waters off Madura Island, killing at least five people and leaving 41 others unaccounted for, authorities said.
The Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry was traveling from Indonesia’s second-largest city of Surabaya in East Java to the city of Makassar in South Sulawesi, with 232 passengers and 39 crew members, when the fire broke out between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. in waters off Sumenep regency, according to Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, or Basarnas.
The ferry operator, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, reported the incident to the Surabaya search and rescue office about an hour later, after receiving information from the ferry’s captain that the vessel was on fire near the northern tip of Madura island, but contact was later lost.
Rescue efforts began immediately after the report reached shore.
Nanang Sigit, head of the Surabaya Search and Rescue Office, said “The ship caught fire north of the Sapudi Islands. Initial information indicates there were 250 people on board.”
The vessel Meratus Project 3 informed the SAR office at 9:45 a.m. that Mutiara Sentosa 2 was almost entirely engulfed in flames about 19 nautical miles north of Sapudi Island, with passengers and crew awaiting rescue on the bridge and at the bow.
Nanang Sigit said “Most of the vessel was almost destroyed by the flames. Passengers gathered on the bridge and the front section of the ship while waiting for assistance.”
By 10:20 a.m., several people reportedly jumped overboard and were rescued by the nearby vessels TB Hasnur 26 and British Mentor.
Nanang Sigit said “TB Hasnur 26 and the British Mentor are assisting in evacuating passengers who jumped from KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2. Four vessels are now alongside the ferry.”
The vessel Meratus Pematang Siantar rescued the largest number of survivors, evacuating 111 people, including two deceased victims, and would rendezvous with a Basarnas vessel in Surabaya.
Other vessels involved included TB Hasnur 26, which evacuated 65 survivors and one deceased victim; Transco Arafura with 17 survivors; Meratus Project 13 with 13 survivors and one deceased victim.
Muhammad Masyhud, a senior official at the Ministry of Transportation, said in a statement “Based on preliminary reports from the field, passengers are waiting to be evacuated by the vessels in the vicinity of the incident site,” He added “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.”
By Sunday afternoon, several nearby vessels managed to rescue 225 passengers and crew and recovered five bodies. At least 41 people remained unaccounted for.
Basarnas said a rescue vessel was dispatched from Surabaya, although it was expected to take about six hours to reach the scene. A rigid inflatable boat sent from a nearby rescue post later returned to shore because of rough seas and high waves, while the Indonesian navy deployed a warship to assist in the operation.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
In the viral moment that unfolded Sunday morning off East Java,
the Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry was traveling from Surabaya in East Java to Makassar in South Sulawesi with 232 passengers and 39 crew members when the fire broke out between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. in waters off Sumenep regency.
Based on the captain’s account, the incident occurred between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. in waters north of Madura Island.
The operator later lost contact with the captain after receiving the report.
By 9:45 a.m., authorities determined the ferry was about 19 nautical miles north of Buruan Sapudi island after communicating with the nearby cargo vessel Meratus Project 3, which was unable to approach the burning vessel closely because it was carrying a flammable load.
Ferries are a popular mode of transport in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, and accidents are common as poor safety standards often allow vessels to be overloaded without adequate life-saving equipment.
Search and rescue operations were continuing as authorities worked to locate the remaining missing passengers.