Ferry Catches Fire in Indonesian Waters; Passengers Jump to Sea

A fire erupted on the KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry in the waters north of Sumenep, Madura, on Sunday, forcing passengers to take drastic measures to survive. The vessel, traveling from Surabaya to Makassar, carried approximately 250 people when the incident occurred.

In harrowing scenes captured on social media, some passengers were seen wearing life vests and jumping into the sea to escape the flames. These individuals were subsequently rescued by the tugboat TB Hasnur 26, which was dispatched to the scene.

The initial report of the fire reached the SAR Surabaya office at 8:24 AM from the Tanjung Perak Port Authority. The ship's operator, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, confirmed the incident shortly after. The captain had reportedly communicated the fire's occurrence between 6:00 AM and 7:00 AM, but communication was lost thereafter.

A coordinated search and rescue operation was swiftly launched, involving the KN SAR 249 Permadi, SAR Surabaya office, Pos SAR Sumenep, and other maritime authorities. The ship was located approximately 19 nautical miles north of Buruan Island, Sapudi, engulfed in flames, with passengers gathered on the upper decks.

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Pk. 10.20 WIB several passengers jumped into the sea and were evacuated by TB Hasnur 26.