At least five dead and dozens missing after ferry carrying 100s catches fire in Indonesia

Published: 19:53, 2 August 2026 | Updated: 19:54, 2 August 2026 At least five have died and dozens more are suspected missing after a ferry in Indonesia carrying hundreds caught fire. The ferry, the Mutiara Sentosa 2, went up in flames off the coast of Madura island, located on the northeastern coast of Java, between 6am and 7am local time on Sunday.  The ship - which was travelling from Surabaya to Makassar city - was carrying 271 passengers and crew when the blaze began, the country's rescue agency confirmed. A search operation for those missing is still underway, with 225 people believed to have been found so far. Five bodies have also been recovered.  Basarnas, Indonesia's national search and rescue agency, confirmed the ship's operator, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, reported the incident to the Surabaya search and rescue office around one hour after the fire broke out.  It is unclear at present how the fire started.  The agency said the ferry's captain had informed them of the fire while approaching the northern tip of Madura island, however, contact was later cut off.  The ship was around 19 nautical miles north of Buruan Sapudi island at 9.45am, at which point it communicated with the Meratus Project 3, a nearby cargo ship. At least five have died and dozens more are suspected missing after a ferry, the Mutiara Sentosa 2, caught fire off the coast of Indonesia The ferry went up in flames off the coast of Madura island between 6am and 7am local time Five bodies have been recovered so far and 225 people have been found after a search operation The ship - which was travelling from Surabaya to Makassar city - was carrying 271 passengers and crew when the blaze broke out Family members and relatives of those onboard are pictured waiting for updates on the search and rescue operation A woman shows footage of her husband aboard the burning vessel as she waits for updates However, the Meratus was unable to aid the vessel as it was carrying a flammable load.  Shortly before 10am, an alternative passing vessel and a tug boat were able to begin evacuating passengers from the burning ship.  An Indonesian naval warship was also sent to the scene to aid recovery efforts, while search and rescue teams also sent a rescue vessel from Surabaya; however, officials have estimated it will take around six hours for it to reach the ship.  The Mutiara Sentosa 2 - which is 160m long and 25m wide - serves the Surabaya-Makassar route, a passage often used by domestic travellers and cargo transport, and typically takes 40 hours.  Indonesia, which is made up of over 17,500 islands, is a hotbed of maritime accidents due to its reliance on boats.  Last month, four people were confirmed dead after a ferry with 65 people on board sank off the coast of Bali. The vessel, en route from Ketapang Port in East Java to Gilimanuk Port, reportedly suffered a critical leak in its engine room, leading to a complete power failure and eventual capsizing. According to local media, the ferry transmitted a distress signal at 12:16am on Thursday and a nearby ferry tried to reach the boat to help. Despite swift response efforts, the vessel was found overturned and drifting southward by 12:22am.  Rescuers believed there were 53 passengers and 12 crew on the ship when it sank. The ferry, which was on a 50km trip, was also carrying 22 vehicles.