Five dead and 41 missing after Indonesian ferry catches fire off Madura island
The vessel was carrying 271 people from Surabaya to Makassar when the captain reported the blaze early Sunday. 225 have been rescued, but 41 remain missing.
What happened
On Sunday morning, a ferry carrying 271 passengers and crew caught fire while sailing from Surabaya in East Java to Makassar in South Sulawesi. The captain reported the blaze to the ferry company between 06:00 and 07:00 local time, according to Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas). After that call, the captain was no longer reachable. The fire broke out off the coast of Madura island, northeast of Java. Footage broadcast by local outlet iNews showed passengers in life jackets on a lifeboat and others climbing down from the burning vessel as flames and thick smoke rose from its upper deck.
Casualties and rescue
By Sunday afternoon, 225 people had been rescued, Basarnas confirmed. Five bodies were recovered, and 41 people remained missing. Some passengers jumped into the sea and were picked up by a nearby ship. Others clung to the bridge and bow before jumping, according to Indonesian media Katadata. Four other vessels were on standby near the ferry but could not approach because of the risk posed by flammable material on board. A larger rescue operation was dispatched from Surabaya, a six-hour journey from the disaster site. The search for the missing was ongoing.
- Rescued
- 225
- Dead
- 5
- Missing
- 41
Official statements
Muhammad Masyhud, a senior official at the Ministry of Transportation, said preliminary reports indicated passengers were waiting to be evacuated by vessels in the vicinity.
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 that coordination with all relevant parties was continuing to ensure a swift and safe evacuation.
Maritime safety context
Marine accidents are a regular occurrence in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, partly due to lax safety standards and unpredictable weather. Last month, a ferry carrying more than 70 people sank near Selayar island, south of Sulawesi. At least four people died and 14 others remained missing until the end of the search operation. The cause of Sunday's fire remains under investigation.
