All Passengers on KMP Batumandi Successfully Evacuated

All passengers aboard the KMP Batumandi have been evacuated by a joint team led by Basarnas. The ferry, which was travelling from Bakauheni to Merak, caught fire on Tuesday afternoon (20 October) in the approach to Merak Port, Banten.

“According to the latest information we have received about the KM Batumandi accident, all passengers have been successfully evacuated,” Rizky Dwianto, head of the Operations and Alert Subsection at Basarnas Banten, said in Cilegon on Tuesday.

He said the evacuation was carried out in stages using various vessels, including patrol boats, fishing boats, rubber boats and a Basarnas Banten rigid inflatable boat (RIB). All passengers were taken to the Executive Terminal at Dock 6 of Merak Port.

Basarnas Banten is still establishing the exact number of passengers and checking it against the vessel’s manifest in coordination with relevant agencies.

“We are continuing to coordinate with the relevant parties on the manifest, including ASDP and the Harbourmaster and Port Authority (KSOP),” Rizky said.

Basarnas has not confirmed whether there were any fatalities. The joint search and rescue team is currently focused on extinguishing the remaining fires on the vessel.

“There are still pockets of fire burning, so the joint team is focusing on putting them out as soon as possible,” he said.

The passenger motor vessel (KMP) Batumandi was reported to have caught fire in the approach to Merak Port, Banten, on Tuesday afternoon (20 October 2026). The Banten Search and Rescue Office promptly deployed a SAR team to respond and assist at the scene.

According to an official statement from SAR Banten, the Banten Search and Rescue Office received notification of the incident from Merak Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) at 16:24 WIB. Initial reports said the Indonesian-flagged, white vessel was operating on the Bakauheni–Merak route when the incident occurred.

The incident took place at coordinates 5° 56’ 38.27” south and 105° 59’ 41.74” east, about 0.54 nautical miles from Dock 6 at Merak Port. When the initial report was received, the vessel was still said to be on fire.

Following the report, the rescue team from the Merak Search and Rescue Alert Unit (USS) began moving to the scene.