Champion Racehorse and Six Others Perish in KM Mutiara Sentosa 2 Fire
The homecoming of a champion turned to grief. Bintang Permata, the sole racehorse and pride of South Sulawesi, which had just claimed a title at the National Championship on Java Island, reportedly died in a fire alongside six other horses in the incident aboard KM Mutiara Santosa 2 in waters north of Madura.
The fire aboard KM Mutiara Santosa 2 not only destroyed passengers’ vehicles and belongings, but also ended the journey of a racehorse named Bintang Permata, which had only recently brought honour to South Sulawesi on the national stage.
Bintang Permata was South Sulawesi’s sole representative in the National Horse Racing Championship series held across several cities on Java Island.
During the competition, which ran from February 2026, this thoroughbred horse managed to deliver two prestigious titles: first place and third place.
However, what should have been a celebration of victory turned into tragedy when the vessel carrying it home was consumed by flames.
“That horse was not merely an animal, but a symbol of our pride on the national stage. All the achievements it earned in Java vanished in an instant,” said H. Lolong Azis, Bintang Permata’s owner, when contacted on Monday (3/8).
Beyond losing his prize racehorse, Lolong also mourned the deaths of six slaughter horses he had only just purchased, an investment worth more than Rp100 million. The six horses were to be sent to Jeneponto to bolster the local livestock population.
“I had only just bought those horses as capital for my business. Suddenly everything was incinerated. Materially, this is a huge loss, but for me, losing Bintang Permata is an extraordinary moral blow,” he added.
Amid the grief, a glimmer of gratitude still enveloped Lolong’s family. The national jockey, Verdianto, familiarly known as Aco, managed to escape the blaze.
Aco was the loyal right hand who had trained and ridden Bintang Permata over the past four months at prestigious racing circuits in Bantul, Kebumen, Salatiga, and Pangandaran.
“Thank God, at around 02:00 WIB I was able to communicate with Aco. He is safe and is now at a hotel after being evacuated from Madura to Tanjung Perak. I am deeply grateful his life was spared,” Lolong said.
A number of passengers aboard KM Mutiara Sentosa 2 were forced to jump into the sea when the ship caught fire in waters north of Sumenep Regency, Madura, on Sunday (2/8).
The Surabaya Search and Rescue Office released the latest data on the major fire that engulfed the Motor Vessel (KM) Mutiara Sentosa 2 on the Surabaya to Makassar sailing route.
Jasa Raharja coordinated with the Kalianget Harbourmaster and Port Authority Office (KSOP), the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), and the Sumenep Police.
Maritime transport safety in Indonesia once again came under sharp scrutiny throughout 2026.
The Ministry of Transportation, through its Directorate General of Sea Transportation, carried out intensive coordination in handling the fire incident aboard KM Mutiara Sentosa 2.