A blaze on an Indonesian passenger ferry leaves at least 5 dead and dozens missing

A routine transit from Surabaya in East Java to Makassar in South Sulawesi turned into a disaster on Sunday, August 3, 2026, as a fire broke out on the Mutiara Sentosa 2. The vessel, carrying 232 passengers and 39 crew members, became engulfed in thick black smoke in the waters off Sumenep regency, forcing some passengers to leap from the upper decks into the sea to escape the flames.

At least five people are confirmed dead, and between 39 and 41 people remain missing. The tragedy has renewed calls for stricter enforcement of maintenance and passenger manifests in an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries are a vital but often risky link for domestic travel and cargo.

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The blaze began between 6 a.m. And 7 a.m. Survivor Ahmad Abdul Karim told Npr that the fire appeared to have started from a truck on the lower vehicle deck.

"Someone came up from the lower deck and told us there was a fire. When we went down to check, two vehicles were already burning,"

Ahmad Abdul Karim, survivor, via NPR

Karim said wind fanned the flames, causing them to spread so rapidly that all passengers were instructed to move to the bow of the ferry in less than 30 minutes. The ship was also carrying 181 vehicles, primarily trucks and one excavator.

Rescue operations faced immediate logistical hurdles. While the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) dispatched a vessel from Surabaya, officials estimated a six-hour transit to the scene. A rigid inflatable boat launched from the Sumenep rescue post was forced to return to shore due to high waves and rough seas.

Passing commercial ships provided the primary evacuation. A tugboat and another vessel began rescuing passengers shortly before 10 a.m., by which time the ferry was reported to be nearly engulfed. According to Tempo, assisting vessels included the TB Hasnur 26, Selaras Mas, Ferindo I, SC Aila XVII, and British Mentor. One nearby cargo ship, the Meratus Project 3, was unable to approach closely because it was carrying a flammable load.

The Mutiara Sentosa 2 is 160 meters long and was built in Japan in 1992. It previously operated on the Osaka-Shinmoji route as the Ferry Osaka before being sold to Indonesia in 2015.

Recovery and Triage

The scale of the emergency became evident Sunday evening at Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya. The KM Meratus Pematang Siantar docked with 111 survivors and two fatalities. Medical teams triaged these survivors using identification bracelets based on their needs, ranging from minor injuries to specialized care, before moving them to the Gapura Surya Nusantara (GSN) Building for data collection.

Tempo reported that another 123 victims—120 survivors and three deaths—were routed to different facilities via other ships. The Indonesian Navy eventually deployed the KRI Nala-363 and KRI Bung Hatta-370 to support the operation, which also involved the KN SAR 249 Permadi and various civilian vessels.

Basarnas stated that the ferry operator, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, reported the incident to the Surabaya search and rescue office roughly one hour after the fire began. The company had been alerted by the ship's captain that the vessel was ablaze near the northern tip of Madura island, though contact with the captain was subsequently lost. Authorities used the Meratus Project 3 to pinpoint the ferry's location at approximately 19 nautical miles (35 km) north of Buruan Sapudi island by 9:45 a.m.

Muhammad Masyhud of the Ministry of Transportation stated that the safety of passengers and crew is the top priority and that the ministry is coordinating with all parties to ensure the process is effective. While Expatgo notes that safety standards have improved in recent years, the incident highlights a recurring problem with weak safety enforcement in the region.

As of Monday morning, Basarnas reported 231 survivors and five deaths. Search operations continue in challenging sea conditions to locate the remaining missing passengers, whose number is disputed between 39 and 41.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation, with authorities yet to determine if it was triggered by mechanical failure, an electrical fault, or cargo-related issues.