Indonesian rescue services have confirmed that five people died and 41 are listed as missing in an accident involving the ferry KM Mutiara Sentosa 2. The fire broke out on the morning of 2 August 2026 in the Java Sea, near Madura Island and the north-east coast of Java. The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) stated that there were 271 people on board in total, including passengers and crew members.
The ferry was travelling the route from Surabaya in East Java to Makassar in South Sulawesi. The ship’s captain reported the outbreak of fire while the vessel was near Madura Island. The rescue office in Surabaya received the report at 8:24 local time, which corresponds to 2:24 GMT. The state search and rescue service confirmed the accident, but the cause of the fire remains unknown.
So far, 225 people have been rescued, but the accident has caused significant coordination problems. Faulty passenger lists are complicating the determination of the exact number of remaining missing persons and the scope of search operations. Authorities are conducting intensive efforts to locate everyone who remained on the ship or in the water.
Local media, including iNews, have published footage from the scene of the accident showing chaos on board. The video shows people in life jackets boarding lifeboats from the ferry. Flames and thick clouds of smoke are spreading from the upper part of the ship, testifying to the intensity of the fire that engulfed the vessel in the Sumenep region.
