A blaze on an Indonesian passenger ferry leaves at least 5 dead and dozens missing
✓In this photo made from video released by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026, smoke billows from passenger ship Mutiara Santosa 2 after it caught fire in the waters off Madura Island, Indonesia. BASARNAS/via AP hide caption
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BASARNAS/via AP
SURABAYA, Indonesia — An Indonesian ferry carrying 271 people caught fire in waters off the main island of Java on Sunday, leaving at least five people dead and dozens missing as rescuers and passing vessels evacuated hundreds from the burning ship, officials said.
The Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry was traveling from Indonesia's second-largest city of Surabaya in East Java to the city of Makassar in South Sulawesi, with 232 passengers, 39 crew members and 181 vehicles, mostly trucks, and an excavator, when the fire broke out between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. in waters off Sumenep regency, according to Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency, or Basarnas.
The ferry operator, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, reported the incident to the Surabaya search and rescue office about an hour later, Basarnas said in a statement. It said the company received information from the ferry's captain that the vessel was on fire near the northern tip of Madura island, but contact was later lost.
By 9:45 a.m., authorities determined the ferry was about 19 nautical miles north of Buruan Sapudi island after communicating with the nearby cargo vessel Meratus Project 3, which was unable to approach the burning vessel closely because it was carrying a flammable load.
Footage released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed thick black smoke billowing from one side of the ferry and spreading across much of the ship while videos circulating on social media and messaging groups showed terrified passengers, mostly wearing life jackets, could be seen clustered on the deck and upper sections of the vessel awaiting rescue, some jumping into the sea as orange flames and black smoke billowed from the burning vessel.
Rescuers assist a survivors of a ferry fire upon arrival at Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. Trisnadi/AP hide caption
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Trisnadi/AP
The ferry was reported to be nearly engulfed by flames, with passengers gathered on the bridge and bow. A tugboat and another passing vessel moved in and began evacuating passengers shortly before 10 a.m., the statement said.
By Sunday evening, several nearby vessels managed to rescue 227 passengers and crew and recovered five bodies. At least 39 people remained unaccounted for.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known and remained under investigation.
Ahmad Abdul Karim, one of the survivors, said 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," Karim said, "Fanned by the wind, the flames spread extremely quickly. In less than 30 minutes, everyone had been instructed to move to the bow of the ferry."
Search and rescue teams dispatched a rescue vessel from Surabaya, although officials estimated it would take about six hours to reach the scene. A rigid inflatable boat from the Sumenep rescue post was sent toward the location but later returned to shore because of rough seas and high waves. The Indonesian Navy also deployed a warship to assist.
The 160 meters (525 feet) long and 25 meters (82 feet) wide ferry was built in Japan in 1992 and operated on the Osaka-Shinmoji route as the "Ferry Osaka" before being sold to Indonesia in 2015. It serves the Surabaya-Makassar route, a voyage that typically takes around 40 hours and is primarily used by domestic travelers and cargo transport between Java and Sulawesi.
Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries are a common method of travel. Disasters occur regularly, with weak safety enforcement often blamed.
Read the full story at NPR ↗ · Sky News ↗
The Mutiara Sentosa 2, a 160-meter ferry operating between Surabaya and Makassar, caught fire in waters off Sumenep regency on Sunday morning while carrying 271 people and 181 vehicles. The fire began between 6 and 7 a.m. on the lower vehicle deck. By Sunday evening, rescue vessels had evacuated 227 people and recovered five bodies; 39 remained unaccounted for. A survivor reported that flames from burning vehicles spread rapidly across the deck. The cause remains under investigation. Search and rescue operations were complicated by high seas and distance from port, though the Indonesian Navy and passing cargo vessels assisted. The ferry, originally built in Japan in 1992, serves a 40-hour route connecting Java and Sulawesi.
Read the full story at NPR ↗ · Sky News ↗
In this photo made from video released by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026, smoke billows from passenger ship Mutiara Santosa 2 after it caught fire in the waters off Madura Island, Indonesia. BASARNAS/via AP hide caption
toggle caption
BASARNAS/via AP
SURABAYA, Indonesia — An Indonesian ferry carrying 271 people caught fire in waters off the main island of Java on Sunday, leaving at least five people dead and dozens missing as rescuers and passing vessels evacuated hundreds from the burning ship, officials said.
The Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry was traveling from Indonesia's second-largest city of Surabaya in East Java to the city of Makassar in South Sulawesi, with 232 passengers, 39 crew members and 181 vehicles, mostly trucks, and an excavator, when the fire broke out between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. in waters off Sumenep regency, according to Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency, or Basarnas.
The ferry operator, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, reported the incident to the Surabaya search and rescue office about an hour later, Basarnas said in a statement. It said the company received information from the ferry's captain that the vessel was on fire near the northern tip of Madura island, but contact was later lost.
By 9:45 a.m., authorities determined the ferry was about 19 nautical miles north of Buruan Sapudi island after communicating with the nearby cargo vessel Meratus Project 3, which was unable to approach the burning vessel closely because it was carrying a flammable load.
Footage released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed thick black smoke billowing from one side of the ferry and spreading across much of the ship while videos circulating on social media and messaging groups showed terrified passengers, mostly wearing life jackets, could be seen clustered on the deck and upper sections of the vessel awaiting rescue, some jumping into the sea as orange flames and black smoke billowed from the burning vessel.
Rescuers assist a survivors of a ferry fire upon arrival at Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. Trisnadi/AP hide caption
toggle caption
Trisnadi/AP
The ferry was reported to be nearly engulfed by flames, with passengers gathered on the bridge and bow. A tugboat and another passing vessel moved in and began evacuating passengers shortly before 10 a.m., the statement said.
By Sunday evening, several nearby vessels managed to rescue 227 passengers and crew and recovered five bodies. At least 39 people remained unaccounted for.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known and remained under investigation.
Ahmad Abdul Karim, one of the survivors, said 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," Karim said, "Fanned by the wind, the flames spread extremely quickly. In less than 30 minutes, everyone had been instructed to move to the bow of the ferry."
Search and rescue teams dispatched a rescue vessel from Surabaya, although officials estimated it would take about six hours to reach the scene. A rigid inflatable boat from the Sumenep rescue post was sent toward the location but later returned to shore because of rough seas and high waves. The Indonesian Navy also deployed a warship to assist.
The 160 meters (525 feet) long and 25 meters (82 feet) wide ferry was built in Japan in 1992 and operated on the Osaka-Shinmoji route as the "Ferry Osaka" before being sold to Indonesia in 2015. It serves the Surabaya-Makassar route, a voyage that typically takes around 40 hours and is primarily used by domestic travelers and cargo transport between Java and Sulawesi.
Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries are a common method of travel. Disasters occur regularly, with weak safety enforcement often blamed.
Read the full story at NPR ↗ · Sky News ↗
The Mutiara Sentosa 2 carried 271 people including 232 passengers, 39 crew members, 181 vehicles and an excavator Fire broke out between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. in waters off Sumenep regency The operator reported the incident to Surabaya search and rescue about one hour after the fire started By 9:45 a.m., the ferry was approximately 19 nautical miles north of Buruan Sapudi island A nearby cargo vessel could not approach because it carried flammable cargo By Sunday evening, 227 passengers and crew were rescued and five bodies recovered At least 39 people remained unaccounted for A survivor reported the fire appeared to originate from a truck on the lower vehicle deck and spread rapidly in under 30 minutes The ferry was built in Japan in 1992 and operated on the Osaka-Shinmoji route before being sold to Indonesia in 2015 The cause of the fire remained under investigation Disasters occur regularly in Indonesia, with weak safety enforcement often blamed
Read the full story at NPR ↗ · Sky News ↗
- Indonesian ferry Mutiara Sentosa 2 caught fire in Java waters on Sunday, Aug. 2, with 271 people aboard
- At least 5 confirmed dead and 39 unaccounted for; 227 passengers and crew rescued by nearby vessels
- Fire started on lower vehicle deck around 6-7 a.m. off Sumenep regency; cause under investigation
- Ferry built in Japan in 1992, operated Surabaya-Makassar route carrying passengers and cargo
- Rescue efforts hampered by rough seas; Indonesian Navy and multiple vessels assisted evacuation