Search Continues for Missing Passengers After Indonesian Ferry Fire Kills Five

Rescue operations resumed Monday in Indonesian waters following a devastating fire aboard the Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry that claimed at least five lives and left the total number of missing passengers undetermined. Teams had successfully pulled 229 people from the vessel the previous day, though officials acknowledged the actual passenger count likely exceeded what the ship’s manifest documented.

The ferry was en route from Surabaya in East Java to Makassar in South Sulawesi when flames erupted between 6 and 7 a.m. in waters near Sumenep regency. The official manifest listed 232 passengers and 39 crew members aboard, but authorities indicated substantially more individuals were present when the fire ignited, complicating efforts to determine how many remain unaccounted for.

Nanang Sigit, director of the Surabaya Search and Rescue Office, noted that discrepancies between manifests and actual passenger numbers are routine in Indonesia and frequently result from overcrowding. Rescuers are relying on reports from families of survivors and victims to help establish a more accurate accounting of those missing.

Survivor Ahmad Abdul Karim reported that the fire appeared to originate in a truck located on the lower vehicle deck before spreading rapidly in windy conditions. He described how passengers were directed to the ferry’s bow within 30 minutes as flames consumed the vessel, which carried 180 vehicles and an excavator as cargo.

The 160-meter vessel, originally constructed in Japan in 1992, was transferred to Indonesian operations in 2015. It has a capacity to accommodate 689 passengers and 49 crew members, plus up to 181 vehicles.

Rescue boats dispatched from Surabaya reached the scene approximately 35 kilometers north of Buruan Sapudi island, assisted by Indonesian navy vessels and nearby commercial ships. The cause of the fire remained under investigation as of Monday.