At least five dead, 41 missing after Indonesian ferry catches fire off Madura

The fire

The Indonesian passenger ferry Mutiara Sentosa 2 caught fire between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. local time on Sunday, 2 August 2026, while sailing through waters off Sumenep regency near Madura Island. The vessel was travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Makassar in South Sulawesi, a voyage that normally takes around 40 hours. Footage released by the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) showed thick black smoke billowing from one side of the ship, and videos circulating on social media captured terrified passengers, many wearing life jackets, clustered on the deck and upper sections. Some jumped into the sea as orange flames and black smoke spread. Authorities said the ferry was nearly engulfed, with passengers gathered on the bridge and bow awaiting rescue.

Rescue operation

The ferry operator, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, reported the fire to the Surabaya search and rescue office about an hour after it started, but contact with the captain was later lost. By 9:45 a.m., Basarnas determined the ship was roughly 19 nautical miles north of Buruan Sapudi island after communicating with the nearby cargo vessel Meratus Project 3. That ship could not approach closely because it was carrying a flammable load. A tugboat and another passing vessel moved in and began evacuating people shortly before 10 a.m., more than three hours after the fire broke out. The Indonesian navy deployed a warship to assist, and a rescue vessel was dispatched from Surabaya, though officials estimated it would take about six hours to reach the scene. A rigid inflatable boat sent from the Sumenep rescue post had to turn back because of rough seas and high waves. By Sunday afternoon, several nearby vessels had rescued 225 passengers and crew and recovered five bodies.

Casualties and missing

At least five people died in the blaze, and 41 others remained unaccounted for as of Sunday afternoon. The identities of the deceased had not been released. The ferry was carrying 232 passengers and 39 crew members, according to Basarnas, for a total of 271 people on board. Some survivors were pulled from the water after jumping overboard, and rescuers threw life rings to those in the sea.

The vessel and its route

The Mutiara Sentosa 2 is a 160-metre-long, 25-metre-wide ferry that serves the Surabaya–Makassar route. The crossing is primarily used by domestic travellers and for cargo transport between Java and Sulawesi. The cause of the fire was not immediately known and remained under investigation.

Maritime safety concerns

Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferry and boat transport, but safety standards are often lax and weather conditions unpredictable. Last month, a ferry carrying more than 70 passengers sank en route to Selayar island south of Sulawesi, leaving at least four dead and 14 missing after the search was called off.