At least five people have died and 41 remain missing after an Indonesian ferry carrying 271 people caught fire in waters off the main island of Java on Sunday.
The Mutiara Sentosa 2 was travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Makassar in South Sulawesi when the fire broke out between 6am and 7am near Sumenep Regency, according to Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, Basarnas.
There were 232 passengers and 39 crew members aboard the ferry.
Basarnas said the operator, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, informed the Surabaya search and rescue office about an hour after the fire was reported. The company said the captain had reported that the vessel was burning near the northern tip of Madura Island, but contact with the ferry was later lost.
Authorities established by 9:45 am that the ferry was about 19 nautical miles north of Buruan Sapudi Island after receiving information from the nearby cargo vessel Meratus Project 3.
The cargo ship was unable to approach the burning ferry closely because it was carrying a flammable cargo.
Passengers evacuated as rescue operation continues
Footage released by Basarnas showed thick black smoke rising from one side of the ferry and spreading across much of the vessel.
Videos shared on social media showed passengers, many wearing life jackets, gathering on the deck and upper sections of the ferry while waiting for help. Some people were seen jumping into the sea as the fire and smoke spread.
The ferry was reported to have been almost completely engulfed in flames, with passengers gathering around the bridge and bow.
A tugboat and another vessel began evacuating people shortly before 10am, Basarnas said. By Sunday afternoon, several vessels had rescued 225 passengers and crew members and recovered five bodies.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known and remains under investigation.
Navy joins search for missing passengers
Basarnas dispatched a rescue vessel from Surabaya, although officials said it would take approximately six hours to reach the scene.
A rigid inflatable boat from the Sumenep rescue post was also sent towards the area but was later forced to turn back because of rough seas and high waves.
The Indonesian Navy deployed a warship to assist with the rescue operation as authorities continued searching for the 41 people still unaccounted for.
The Mutiara Sentosa 2 is about 160 metres long and 25 metres wide. It operates between Surabaya and Makassar, a journey that normally takes around 40 hours and is widely used by domestic passengers as well as for cargo transport between Java and Sulawesi.
Ferries are a major form of transport in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands. The country has experienced a number of ferry accidents over the years, highlighting continuing safety challenges in maritime transport.
The search and rescue operation was continuing on Sunday as authorities worked to locate the missing passengers and determine what caused the fire.
