Five dead after fire engulfs Indonesian ferry

ALBAWABA- Five people were killed after a fire swept through an Indonesian passenger ferry off Madura Island, authorities confirmed on Tuesday, with all other passengers and crew safely rescued or accounted for following a large-scale maritime rescue operation.

The blaze broke out aboard the Mutiara Sentosa 2 on Sunday as the ferry was sailing from Surabaya in East Java to Makassar in South Sulawesi. The vessel caught fire in waters off Sumenep Regency, about 19 nautical miles (35 kilometres) north of Buruan Sapudi Island.

Indonesian search and rescue authorities said the final casualty toll stood at five dead, while all remaining passengers and crew listed on the revised manifest were rescued or recovered. Earlier reports had suggested dozens were missing, but officials later confirmed that the total number of people found, alive and deceased, matched the updated passenger manifest. 

The ferry was carrying more than 230 passengers and crew, along with about 180 vehicles, most of them trucks, and at least one excavator.

Hundreds of survivors were rescued by nearby commercial vessels, tugboats and the Indonesian Navy after many passengers jumped into the sea wearing life jackets as the fire spread rapidly. Survivors were taken to Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya and other locations, where many received medical treatment.

Witnesses described scenes of panic as thick smoke engulfed the ferry, forcing passengers to gather on the bridge and bow before abandoning ship. Many remained in the water for hours before being rescued.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT). Survivors said they heard several explosions shortly before flames erupted between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. local time.

One survivor said the fire appeared to originate from a truck on the lower vehicle deck before quickly spreading through the vessel, driven by strong winds. Within about 30 minutes, much of the ferry was engulfed in flames.

The ferry’s captain reported the fire to the operator, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, before communications with the vessel were lost. The company notified authorities about an hour after the incident began.

Indonesia’s Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the government would review the ferry operator’s safety procedures after the investigation is completed.
Built in Japan in 1992, the 160-metre Mutiara Sentosa 2 has operated in Indonesia since 2015 and is certified to carry up to 689 passengers, along with vehicles, on the approximately 40-hour route between Surabaya and Makassar.