Crew Member Testifies on Source of Fire Aboard KMP Mutiara Sentosa II

A surviving crew member of the KMP Mutiara Sentosa II, Dwi Putro Suryo, has stated that the fire which consumed the ferry began with a parked car on the vehicle deck on Sunday morning. Based on his observations at the time, he said the first flames appeared from a four-wheeled vehicle parked on the deck while the ship was sailing in the waters north of Sumenep, Madura, East Java. “Initially, a car caught fire,” Suryo said on Tuesday. He noted that attempts were made to extinguish the fire, but they failed and the blaze spread rapidly. He could not specify the exact type of vehicle that ignited but confirmed its position was at the front right side of the vessel. The incident occurred around 6:30 a.m. local time. As the fire grew and spread to other parts of the ship, panic ensued on the Surabaya-Makassar route vessel. Suryo said he was forced to slide down a rope to escape the flames, sustaining abrasions on his palms. He then drifted at sea for about two and a half hours before being rescued. He is currently receiving medical treatment at RSI Kalianget alongside three other survivors. The joint SAR operation to search for victims of the KMP Mutiara Sentosa II fire was officially closed on Tuesday. The total number of evacuees was confirmed at 238, including five fatalities. Routine monitoring will continue to focus on the waters where the incident occurred, and the search will resume if there are reports of missing family members.