Five dead and dozens missing after colossal fire engulfs Indonesian ferry while at sea

A passenger ferry travelling across Indonesian waters has caught fire off the coast of Madura Island today, resulting in five confirmed fatalities with dozens more unaccounted for.

The Mutiara Sentosa 2 was transporting 271 individuals, comprising 232 passengers and 39 crew members, when the blaze erupted during its voyage from Surabaya in East Java towards Makassar in South Sulawesi.

Authorities have confirmed 225 people have been pulled from the vessel by surrounding ships, whilst 41 remain missing in the Java Sea.

The Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency continues to coordinate recovery operations in the affected waters.

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The ferry operator, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, manages the route between the two major Indonesian cities.

The cause of the conflagration has not yet been determined and remains the subject of an ongoing investigation.

The blaze is reported to have started in the early morning hours, breaking out between 6am and 7am local time in waters off Sumenep regency.

Approximately one hour elapsed before PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran alerted the Surabaya search and rescue office to the emergency.

Initial communication from the vessel's captain indicated the fire had ignited near Madura's northern tip, although subsequent attempts to reach him proved unsuccessful. Contact with the ferry was lost following that report.

By mid-morning at 9:45am, rescue coordinators had established the ship's position approximately 19 nautical miles north of Buruan Sapudi Island.

This location was determined through contact with the Meratus Project 3, a cargo vessel operating in the vicinity which was prevented from approaching closely due to its flammable cargo.

Footage from the rescue agency depicted dense black smoke engulfing much of the vessel as frightened passengers wearing life jackets congregated on the deck, bridge and bow sections.

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Some individuals leapt into the sea as flames spread across the ship.

Four vessels remained on standby in the vicinity but were unable to draw near due to the hazardous flammable materials aboard the ferry.

A tugboat and another passing ship commenced evacuation operations shortly before 10am local time.

Muhammad Masyhud, a senior official at the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation, stated: "Based on preliminary reports from the field, passengers are waiting to be evacuated by the vessels in the vicinity of the incident site."

"The safety of passengers and crew is our top priority.

"We are continuously coordinating with all relevant parties to ensure that the evacuation process can proceed quickly, safely, and effectively," he added.

Challenging weather conditions hampered the rescue response, with a rigid inflatable boat dispatched from the Sumenep post forced to abandon its mission and return to land after encountering substantial waves and turbulent conditions.

"A dedicated rescue craft sent from Surabaya faced an estimated six-hour journey to reach the stricken vessel's location.

The Indonesian Navy has committed a warship to support the ongoing operation.

The 160-metre-long and 25-metre-wide ferry typically completes the Surabaya-Makassar crossing in approximately 40 hours, serving primarily domestic travellers and freight movements between Java and Sulawesi.

Investigators have yet to identify what sparked the blaze.

Indonesia's archipelago of more than 17,000 islands relies heavily on ferry services, with maritime incidents occurring frequently across the nation's waters, often attributed to inadequate safety oversight.

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