A fire on the Indonesian ferry Mutiara Sentosa 2 has resulted in at least five fatalities, with many passengers still unaccounted for. The incident occurred early Sunday morning while the ferry was traveling from Surabaya to Makassar, carrying 39 crew members and 232 passengers. The blaze ignited around 6:00 AM local time as the vessel sailed past Madura Island, but authorities were not notified until an hour later, according to the rescue agency Basarnas.
Efforts to rescue the passengers were initiated by nearby vessels, including Meratus Pematang Siantar and Hasnur 26, which collectively rescued over 220 individuals. Survivors were seen gathering on the bow of the ship, facing dangerous conditions as heat and smoke enveloped them. Reports suggest that some missing passengers may have jumped into the water to escape the flames. Video footage from the scene indicated challenging weather conditions, complicating search and rescue operations.
As of late Sunday, search efforts were focused on locating 41 individuals still missing, while the cause of the fire remains under investigation. The Mutiara Sentosa 2, a passenger ferry built in 1992, had been operational in Indonesia since at least 2015.
