Burning KMP Mutiara Sentosa Carries 140 Trucks, 25 Cars, and Heavy Machinery

The KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2, which caught fire during its voyage, was known to be carrying hundreds of vehicles at the time of the incident. The vessel, operating on the Surabaya-Makassar route, was transporting a total of 232 passengers and 39 crew members. The fire occurred while the ship was sailing in the waters north of Sumenep, Madura Island, East Java, on Sunday afternoon.

Satriyo Nurseno, Head of Emergency and Logistics at the East Java Provincial BPBD, stated that the fire broke out around 07:00 WIB. In addition to trucks, the ship was transporting various other vehicles and heavy machinery. The impact of the fire included the destruction of one ship, 15 motorcycles, 25 cars, 140 trucks, and one unit of heavy machinery.

As of 14:40 WIB, 40 passengers remained on board the KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2. An evacuation process for the remaining passengers was being carried out by a joint team using nearby vessels. Data regarding fatalities and survivors is still being processed by the field teams.

Latest reports as of 17:00 WIB indicate that five people have died in the incident, while 227 passengers have been successfully evacuated safely. Nanang Sigit, Head of the Surabaya SAR Office, confirmed these figures, noting that nine ships were involved in the evacuation process.

The Meratus Pematang Siantar was recorded as evacuating the largest number of passengers, with 109 survivors and two fatalities. The TB Hasnur 26 rescued 65 survivors and one fatality, while the Meratus Project 3 rescued 13 survivors and one fatality. The Icon Daniel was also reported to have evacuated one fatality. Other vessels, including the Transco Arafura, Prakarsa Mas, SC Aila XVII, Selaras Mas, and British Mentor, contributed to the rescue of survivors.

Search operations for any remaining potential victims are ongoing. Vessels such as the TB Hasnur 26 and the British Mentor are actively conducting evacuations, while the KN SAR 249 Permadi and RIB 01 Sumenep have been deployed to reinforce the rescue operation. Personnel from the East Java Provincial BPBD and the Sumenep Regency BPBD are coordinating with all parties involved in handling the incident.