- Indonesian rescuers were searching for possible missing passengers on Monday after rescuing 229 people from a ferry fire off Java that left at least five people dead.
- Officials said many more people were aboard than listed and that the number of missing was unclear after 229 people were rescued and five bodies recovered; they were relying on reports from families of victims and survivors.
- The Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry was traveling from Surabaya to Makassar with 232 passengers and 39 crew members on the manifest when the fire broke out between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. in waters off Sumenep regency.
- Nanang Sigit, head of the Surabaya Search and Rescue Office, said such discrepancies can reflect overcrowding and complicate search and rescue efforts.
- The fire's cause was not immediately known and remained under investigation; the vessel was carrying 180 vehicles, mostly trucks, and an excavator.
- Survivor Ahmad Abdul Karim said the fire appeared to start from a truck on the lower vehicle deck: Fanned by the wind, the flames spread extremely quickly, and in less than 30 minutes everyone was instructed to move to the bow.
- Rescue teams dispatched a boat from Surabaya to the scene about 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of Buruan Sapudi island, and Indonesian navy ships and passing vessels assisted.
- The ferry was built in Japan in 1992 and sold to Indonesia in 2015; it is 160 meters long, can accommodate 689 passengers and 49 crew, along with up to 181 vehicles, and serves the Surabaya-Makassar route, typically a 40-hour voyage.
At least five people have died and the number of missing individuals remains uncertain following a fire on the Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry off Indonesia's Java island. The ferry, which was carrying 232 passengers and 39 crew members, caught fire early Monday morning, leading to a rescue operation that saved 229 individuals.14
The fire broke out between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. in waters off Sumenep regency, with initial reports indicating that the number of passengers exceeded the ship's manifest. Officials are relying on family reports to ascertain the number of missing persons, as discrepancies in passenger counts are common in Indonesia, complicating rescue efforts, according to Nanang Sigit, head of the Surabaya Search and Rescue Office.5910
Survivor Ahmad Abdul Karim reported that the fire likely started from a truck on the lower deck, spreading rapidly due to wind. “In less than 30 minutes, everyone had been instructed to move to the bow of the ferry,” he said. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.8
The ferry, built in Japan in 1992 and sold to Indonesia in 2015, is capable of carrying 689 passengers and 49 crew, along with up to 181 vehicles. It serves the Surabaya-Makassar route, a vital link for domestic travelers and cargo transport. Indonesia, an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, frequently experiences maritime disasters due to weak safety enforcement.111213
“Rescuers have pulled 229 people from the Mutiara Sentosa 2, though officials say many more were aboard than the manifest listed and the missing count remains unclear. Survivor Ahmad Abdul Karim said the fire started from a truck on the lower vehicle deck: "Fanned by the wind, the flames spread extremely quickly."”
