Surabaya [Indonesia], August 3 – At least five people were killed and 41 others remained missing after a ferry carrying 271 people caught fire off Indonesia’s main island of Java on Sunday prompting a large-scale rescue operation involving emergency teams, passing vessels and the Indonesian Navy.
The Mutiara Sentosa 2 was sailing from Surabaya in East Java to Makassar in South Sulawesi when the fire broke out between 6 am and 7 am in waters off Sumenep regency, according to Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas). The ferry was carrying 232 passengers, 39 crew members and 181 vehicles including trucks and an excavator.
Rescue officials said nearby ships reached the scene after the vessel’s captain reported the fire before communication was lost. By Sunday evening, 227 passengers and crew had been rescued while five bodies had been recovered.
Videos released by rescuers and shared on social media showed thick black smoke engulfing the ferry as frightened passengers wearing life jackets gathered on the upper deck with some jumping into the sea to escape the flames.
Survivor Ahmad Abdul Karim said the blaze appeared to have started from a truck on the vehicle deck before spreading rapidly through the vessel.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Search operations continued into Sunday evening as authorities worked to locate those still missing.
