BMKG outlines support measures following KMP Mutiara Sentosa II fire

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has outlined a series of support measures to assist in the search and rescue of victims following the fire aboard KMP Mutiara Sentosa II in the waters north of Sumenep Regency, East Java Province.

BMKG head Teuku Faisal Fathani said the agency had issued and disseminated maritime weather forecasts for the northern Sumenep waters to stakeholders through electronic media prior to the ship fire incident.

“BMKG, through the Tanjung Perak Maritime Meteorology Station and the Trunojoyo Sumenep Meteorology Station, routinely disseminates maritime weather forecasts through its official website, email, social media and WhatsApp groups, including to mass media and ship captains, to support shipping safety,” Faisal said during a working meeting and hearing of House of Representatives Commission V with the Minister of Transportation, the BMKG head and the Basarnas head at the Parliament Complex in Central Jakarta on Wednesday.

He said that based on Surabaya weather radar imagery, no rain was detected around the ship’s location, with clear and cloudy conditions observed based on Himawari-9 EH satellite imagery at the time of the fire.

Regarding BMKG’s post-fire support, he said the agency continuously coordinates actively with ministries, agencies and other relevant institutions for accident response preparedness.

The agency also provides ocean parameter analysis and forward drift simulations to estimate the movement of objects or victims.

In addition, BMKG disseminates sea area weather forecast information and real-time weather radar monitoring.

He added that BMKG, through its technical implementation units in the areas surrounding the incident, namely the Perak Maritime Meteorology Station, Juanda Meteorology Station and Trunojoyo, is also actively coordinating to provide weather information to support SAR operations.