Indonesia has ended its ferry fire rescue mission after a deadly blaze aboard the KM Mutiara Sentosa 2 left five people dead, with authorities confirming that everyone listed on the vessel’s official manifest has now been accounted for.
The KM Mutiara Sentosa 2 was travelling from Surabaya in East Java Province to Makassar in South Sulawesi on Sunday when a fire broke out onboard, forcing hundreds of passengers and crew into a desperate escape as emergency teams launched a large-scale rescue operation.
National Search and Rescue Agency Chief Mohammad Syafii said rescuers evacuated 233 of the 238 passengers and crew recorded on the ferry’s manifest, while five people were confirmed dead in the incident.
Officials had initially estimated that 271 people were aboard the vessel. However, Syafii said a review of the official manifest established that the ferry was carrying a total of 238 passengers and crew.
Rescue officials said many survivors remained stranded at sea for several hours wearing life jackets, while some were forced to jump nearly 10 metres from the burning ferry into the water to escape the flames.
Authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of the fire, with officials yet to determine what triggered the blaze.
Although the rescue operation has concluded, Syafii said search efforts could resume if families report relatives who remain unaccounted for and were not included on the ferry’s official manifest.
Indonesia, an archipelago of about 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferries to connect communities across the country. However, maritime accidents remain relatively common because safety regulations are not always consistently enforced.
Goodness Anunobi
