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Families Anxiously Seek News of Relatives After KM Mutiara Sentosa 2 Catches Fire
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Disasters & Emergencies

Families Anxiously Seek News of Relatives After KM Mutiara Sentosa 2 Catches Fire

From CNN Indonesia · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • Families anxiously awaited news at Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya for relatives aboard the KM Mutiara Sentosa 2, which caught fire in the waters north of Sumenep.
  • Some families learned about the incident through social media, struggling to confirm the status of their loved ones who were passengers or crew.
  • While 231 people were evacuated safely and five confirmed dead by Sunday evening, the search continued amid concerns of unlisted passengers complicating identification efforts.

Anxiety gripped Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya as families of passengers aboard the KM Mutiara Sentosa 2 arrived seeking information about their relatives. The ship caught fire in the waters north of Sumenep, Madura, creating a scene of distress for those awaiting news.

I only got the news from live TikTok.

— DeviA relative of a passenger, explaining how she learned about the ship fire.

Devi, a resident of Gresik, recounted learning about her husband's presence on the ill-fated vessel through a social media live stream. Her last communication with her husband, a tronton driver named Deni Vristiawan, was in the morning before the fire. "I called, then called again. After that, I couldn't reach him anymore," she said, adding that this was an unusual route for his work.

07:00 in the morning. I called, then called again. After that, I couldn't reach him anymore. Until now.

— DeviDescribing her last communication with her husband before the ship caught fire.

Samparia, from Makassar, shared similar difficulties in obtaining information, as her relative's name was reportedly not on the passenger manifest. Susilo, an expedition company owner, was also anxiously awaiting news of his five employees who were escorting horses and goats on the ship. While four were confirmed safe, one remained unaccounted for.

No, this is the first time [going to Sulawesi].

— DeviResponding to a question about whether her husband usually traveled this route.

The situation was compounded by suspicions of unlisted passengers, making the process of matching victims with the official manifest more challenging. As of Sunday evening, Basarnas reported 231 safe evacuations and five fatalities, with joint SAR teams continuing their efforts.

Yes, I looked for information. I asked around, and it turned out the ship my husband was on had caught fire. Then I immediately went to the garage where he worked. I looked for information from his friends, and they told me to come here. Then I contacted the organizers, and they told me to gather here.

— DeviExplaining her actions after learning about the fire.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNN Indonesia in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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