- Rescuers are continuing to search for 28 missing people after a ferry caught fire off Indonesia's Madura island, an official said.
- Arman Asmara Syarifuddin, director of marine and air affairs at East Java police, said 28 remain missing, with five confirmed dead and 238 rescued.
- All rescued victims were evacuated to the Port of Gapura Surya Nusantara in Surabaya on Monday morning, while families had waited at the port since Sunday evening.
- Police, the rescue agency and the Navy deployed seven boats and one helicopter, including a naval corvette and a patrol boat, and searched an area extending 10 miles east and west of the incident.
- The search operation will last seven days, extendable by another 14 days, and the cause of the incident remains unclear.
- A woman named Ria, awaiting news of her missing uncle, said his cellphone was not active and she had not been able to contact him or learn his condition.
Indonesian rescuers are intensifying their search for 28 individuals missing after the KM Mutiara Sentosa ferry caught fire off Madura island. The incident, which occurred while the ferry was en route from Surabaya to Makassar, has resulted in five confirmed fatalities and 238 rescues.34
According to Arman Asmara Syarifuddin, director of marine and air affairs at East Java police, the search operation involves seven boats and one helicopter, focusing on a 20-mile area around the incident site. The operation is set to last for seven days but may be extended by another 14 days if necessary.256789
All rescued victims were evacuated to the Port of Gapura Surya Nusantara in Surabaya, where families anxiously awaited news. One family member, Ria, expressed her distress, stating, "I tried to contact continuously after I got the information but his cellphone was not active... until now I have not been able to contact and know his condition."
The cause of the fire remains unclear, highlighting ongoing concerns about ferry safety in Indonesia, where accidents are frequent due to lax enforcement of safety standards. The country, comprising around 17,000 islands, heavily relies on ferries for transportation, making such incidents particularly alarming.
“East Java police's Arman Asmara Syarifuddin said 271 people were aboard and the search operation will last seven days, extendable by 14, with the cause still unclear. Rescuers deployed seven boats and a helicopter across a 20-mile area; families have waited at Surabaya's port since Sunday evening.”
