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. The Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry was traveling from Surabaya to Makassar 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.
The ferry operator reported the incident about an hour later, stating the vessel was on fire near the northern tip of Madura island. Contact with the ferry was later lost.
By 9:45 a.m., authorities determined the ferry's location after communicating with a nearby cargo vessel that was unable to approach closely due to its flammable cargo. Footage released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed thick black smoke billowing from the ferry, while videos circulating on social media depicted terrified passengers, many in life jackets, clustered on the deck and upper sections awaiting rescue. Some passengers were seen jumping into the sea.
Several nearby vessels began evacuating passengers shortly before 10 a.m. By Sunday afternoon, 225 passengers and crew had been rescued, and five bodies were recovered. At least 41 people remained unaccounted for.
The cause of the fire is not immediately known and is under investigation. Search and rescue teams dispatched a vessel from Surabaya, though it was estimated to take about six hours to reach the scene. A rigid inflatable boat from a local rescue post was sent but returned due to rough seas. The Indonesian Navy also deployed a warship.
The ferry, which serves the Surabaya-Makassar route, typically makes a voyage of around 40 hours and is a common mode of transport for domestic travelers and cargo between Java and Sulawesi. Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferries for transportation, and such incidents occur regularly, often attributed to weak safety enforcement.