At least five people have been confirmed dead, while 41 others remain missing after an Indonesian passenger ferry carrying at least 250 people caught fire while sailing between East Java and South Sulawesi, authorities said on Monday.
According to Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the captain of the KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2reported the fire while the vessel was en route from Surabaya, the country’s second-largest city in East Java, to Makassar in South Sulawesi.
Basarnas said the Surabaya Search and Rescue Office received the emergency report at about 8:24 a.m. local time (02:24 GMT).
“Based on information from the shipping company, the fire occurred at around 06:00–07:00 local time (00:00–01:00 GMT),” the agency said.
The rescue agency later confirmed that the ferry was almost entirely engulfed in flames, forcing passengers to gather at the bridge and bow of the vessel while awaiting rescue.
Videos shared by Basarnas and local broadcaster iNews showed thick black smoke and flames billowing from the upper sections of the ferry as passengers, many wearing life jackets, scrambled to safety.
Some footage showed people climbing down the side of the burning vessel before jumping into the sea, while rescue teams threw lifebuoys to stranded passengers and ferried survivors aboard rescue vessels.
Large numbers of passengers were also seen huddled together in lifeboats awaiting evacuation.
Authorities said search and rescue operations were continuing as emergency responders searched for the 41 passengers still unaccounted for.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and investigators are expected to begin a full inquiry once rescue operations are completed.
Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferry transportation to connect its islands. However, maritime accidents remain common, often linked to overcrowding, poor weather conditions and lax enforcement of safety regulations.
Erizia Rubyjeana
