Fire on Indonesian ferry leaves at least 5 dead and dozens missing

SURABAYA, Indonesia — An Indonesian ferry carrying 271 people caught fire in waters off the main island of Java on Sunday, leaving at least five people dead and dozens missing as rescuers and passing vessels evacuated hundreds from the burning ship, officials said.

The Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry was traveling from Indonesia’s second-largest city of Surabaya in East Java to the city of Makassar in South Sulawesi, with 232 passengers and 39 crew members, when the fire broke out between 6 and 7 a.m. in waters off Sumenep regency, according to Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, known as Basarnas.

The ferry operator, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, reported the incident to the Surabaya search and rescue office about an hour later, Basarnas said in a statement. It said the company received information from the ferry’s captain that the vessel was on fire near the northern tip of Madura island, but contact was later lost.

By 9:45 a.m., authorities determined the ferry was about 19 nautical miles north of Buruan Sapudi island after communicating with the nearby cargo vessel Meratus Project 3, which was unable to approach the burning vessel closely because it was carrying a flammable load.

Video released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed thick black smoke billowing from one side of the ferry and spreading across much of the ship while videos circulating on social media and messaging groups showed terrified passengers, most wearing life jackets, clustered on the deck and upper sections of the vessel awaiting rescue, some jumping into the sea as orange flames and black smoke billowed from the burning vessel.

The ferry was reported to be nearly engulfed by flames, with passengers gathered on the bridge and bow. A tugboat and another passing vessel moved in and began evacuating passengers shortly before 10 a.m., the statement said.

By Sunday afternoon, several nearby vessels managed to rescue 225 passengers and crew members and recovered five bodies. At least 41 people remained unaccounted for.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known and remained under investigation.

Search and rescue teams dispatched a rescue vessel from Surabaya, although officials estimated that it would take about six hours to reach the scene. A rigid inflatable boat from the Sumenep rescue post was sent toward the location but later returned to shore because of rough seas and high waves. The Indonesian navy also deployed a warship to assist.

The ferry, 525 feet long and 82 feet wide, serves the Surabaya-Makassar route, a voyage that typically takes about 40 hours and is primarily used by domestic travelers and cargo transport between Java and Sulawesi.

Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries are a common method of travel. Disasters occur regularly, with weak safety enforcement often blamed.

Trisnadi and Karmini write for the Associated Press. Karmini reported from Jakarta. AP writer Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.