Basarnas: 232 Victims of KM Mutiara Sentosa II Successfully Evacuated

The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) reported that 232 victims of the KM Mutiella Sentosa II fire, which occurred in the northern waters of Sumenep, East Java, had been successfully evacuated as of Sunday at 6:00 PM WIB. Records indicate that 227 individuals survived, while five people lost their lives.

The Head of the Surabaya Class A SAR Office, Nanang Sigit PH, stated that the evacuation process was carried out by joint SAR elements alongside several vessels located near the incident site. “Preliminary data as of 6:00 PM WIB shows a total of 232 evacuated victims, consisting of 227 survivors and five fatalities,” Nanang said in Surabaya on Sunday, 2 August 2026.

He explained that the largest number of victims was evacuated by the KM Meratus Pematang Siantar, which rescued 111 people, including 109 survivors and two fatalities. The vessel was en route to Surabaya and was expected to intercept with the KN SAR 249 Permadi at approximately 9:00 PM WIB.

Furthermore, the TB Hasnur 26 evacuated 66 victims (65 survivors and one fatality), while the Transco Arafura rescued 17 survivors. The KM Meratus Project 3 evacuated 14 individuals, consisting of 13 survivors and one fatality. Other vessels involved in the rescue included the Prakarsa Mas, SC Aila XVII, and Selaras Mas, each carrying seven survivors, as well as the British Mentor, which rescued two survivors, and the Alcon Daniel, which transported one fatality.

Nanang noted that several vessels still carrying victims—namely TB Hasnur 26, Transco Arafura, KM Meratus Project 3, SC Aila XVII, and Alcon Daniel—were awaiting pickup by SAR units. The operation involved the deployment of KN SAR 249 Permadi, RIB 01 Sumenep, and KRI Nala 363 (Armada II), alongside various commercial vessels in the vicinity to expedite the rescue efforts.