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Ferry Owner Involved in Second Major Fire Incident
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Disasters & Emergencies

Ferry Owner Involved in Second Major Fire Incident

From CNN Indonesia · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • The KMP Mutiara Sentosa II ferry, which caught fire en route from Surabaya to Makassar, was carrying approximately 250 passengers.
  • The ship's owner, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, had a previous fire incident with the KMP Mutiara Sentosa I in 2017.
  • As of Monday, 234 passengers had been found, with 229 safe and five deceased, while rescue operations continue.

The KMP Mutiara Sentosa II ferry caught fire in the waters north of Sumenep, Madura, while traveling from Surabaya to Makassar, carrying around 250 passengers. The incident marks the second major accident for the ship's owner, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran.

Initial reports of the fire were received by the Surabaya SAR Office at 8:24 AM WIB, with confirmation from PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran following shortly after. The ship's captain had reported the fire between 6:00 AM and 7:00 AM WIB, but communication was subsequently lost.

The Passenger Ship Mutiara Sentosa II Route Surabaya-Makasar with POB around 250 people caught fire.

— Nanang Sigit, Head of Surabaya SAR OfficeConfirming the incident and passenger count.

SAR teams coordinated efforts, and by 9:45 AM, the KMP Mutiara Sentosa II was located 19 nautical miles north of Pulau Buruan, Sapudi. The vessel was reportedly almost entirely engulfed in flames, with passengers on the forecastle and bow.

The ship's condition was almost completely burned, and the ship's passengers were on the forecastle and bow.

Describing the state of the ferry during the rescue.

Rescue operations have been ongoing. By Monday, 234 passengers had been accounted for: 229 were found safe, and five were confirmed deceased. The search continues for any remaining individuals.

This incident echoes a previous fire involving the KMP Mutiara Sentosa I on May 19, 2017, in the Masalembo waters. During that event, 197 passengers jumped into the sea amid the panic, resulting in 192 survivors and five fatalities. The Ministry of Transportation stated it would evaluate the company due to these recurring accidents.

The company [shipping] we will conduct an evaluation based on the available data, if I'm not mistaken, it's already happened twice.

— Dudy Purwagandhi, Minister of TransportationCommenting on the company's safety record after the incident.
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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