Fire on Indonesian ferry kills five, leaves dozens missing near Madura

Around sunrise on Sunday, the ferry KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 set out from Surabaya's Tanjung Perak Port bound for Makassar on Sulawesi Island with an estimated 250 people aboard. Hours into the voyage, the captain signaled a fire, and shortly thereafter contact with the ship was lost. The vessel was later located roughly 19 nautical miles north of Sapudi Island, where it was nearly consumed by flames, leaving passengers stranded on the bridge and bow.

The Surabaya Search and Rescue Office coordinated a response, deploying nearby vessels TB Hasnur 26 and the British Mentor to pull passengers from the water, while SAR 249 Permadi was dispatched despite an estimated six-hour travel time. Social media footage showed thick black smoke and passengers in life jackets jumping into the sea. The incident has claimed five lives, with 41 individuals still missing, and investigators are probing the fire's origin.