Indonesian rescuers deploy helicopter in search for missing ferry fire victims

Indonesian search and rescue teams continue to scour the waters north of Madura for any trace of missing passengers from the KMP Mutiara Sentosa II ferry. A Basarnas helicopter is conducting aerial surveillance over the Sumenep waters in East Java, seeking any signs of the ship's wreckage or individuals yet to be found.

"While awaiting verification of missing passenger reports from KSOP and the shipping company, we are continuing to monitor and search the area around the incident site without any time lapse until the verification of reports is complete," said Nanang Sigit, head of the Surabaya SAR office. A KN SAR 249 Permadi vessel also conducted a sweep of the Sumenep waters before returning to Surabaya for refueling.

The search and rescue operation for the KMP Mutiara Sentosa II fire, which began on August 2, was officially transitioned to a "readiness operation" on August 4. This change involved reorganizing the command post resources. The SAR post has returned to the Surabaya SAR office, while other posts have gone back to their respective units. Only the reporting post remains at Tanjung Perak, collecting information from families of passengers believed to be missing.

Despite the dispersed posts, Nanang assured that coordination among all involved parties remains active. "Nevertheless, if there are reports of victims needing evacuation, it will be communicated to all post elements according to their respective functions," he added. The ferry, en route from Surabaya to Makassar, caught fire on August 2. By August 4, 238 people had been evacuated: 233 survived, and five died. However, four passengers are still reported missing.