A passenger ferry experienced a major fire incident while operating in Indonesian waters, prompting a significant search and rescue operation. The vessel, identified as KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2, was carrying at least 250 people when the fire broke out during its transit from Surabaya, located in East Java, to Makassar in South Sulawesi. The blaze occurred in waters off Madura island.
According to the National Search and Rescue Agency, the fire developed between 06:00 and 07:00 local time, with the captain reporting the incident to authorities approximately two hours later. At that point, rescue personnel confirmed the ferry was nearly consumed by flames while passengers remained aboard, clustered in the ship’s bridge and bow sections as they waited for assistance.
Video footage documented the evacuation efforts, showing passengers dressed in life jackets aboard rescue vessels and others making their way down from the burning ferry as smoke billowed from the upper sections. Some individuals were recorded jumping into the sea, where rescue personnel deployed life buoys to assist those in the water before transferring them to rescue ships.
As of the available reports, authorities had recovered five fatalities, while 41 individuals remained unaccounted for following the incident. Investigators had not yet determined the cause of the fire at the time of the initial reports.
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