Fire on Indonesian Ferry Mutiara Santosa 2: Casualties and Rescue Efforts

On Sunday, August 2, 2026, an Indonesian ferry carrying 271 people caught fire off the coast of Java. The incident resulted in at least five deaths and left dozens missing. Rescue teams and nearby vessels aided in evacuating the passengers.

The Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry departed from Surabaya, headed to Makassar, transporting 232 passengers, 39 crew members, and 181 vehicles, including trucks and an excavator. The blaze occurred between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., according to Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas). The fire forced a communication halt after the vessel’s captain reported the fire near Madura Island’s northern tip.

By 9:45 a.m., authorities pinpointed the ferry’s position at 19 nautical miles north of Buruan Sapudi Island. A nearby vessel, Meratus Project 3, could not approach due to flammable cargo. Footage showed thick smoke enveloping the ferry, while social media videos depicted panicked passengers clinging to life jackets and others plunging into the sea.

A tugboat and another vessel commenced evacuation around 10 a.m. By evening, 227 people were saved. However, 39 remained missing. Investigations into the fire’s cause continued. Survivor Ahmad Abdul Karim noted that a fire began on the lower deck, rapidly spreading due to wind conditions.

Rescue efforts included deploying a vessel from Surabaya, which faced operational delays due to distance and sea conditions. The Indonesian Navy dispatched a warship to assist. The ferry, built in Japan in 1992 and known previously as “Ferry Osaka,” was acquired by Indonesia in 2015.

Ferry travel in Indonesia is significant across its 17,000 islands despite frequent disasters and loose safety protocols.