Families of KMP Mutiara Santosa 2 Victims Flock to Makassar Crisis Centre

Panic from the fire aboard KMP Mutiara Santosa 2 in the northern waters of Madura continues to leave families of the victims in mourning. As of Monday (3/8), 41 passengers and crew members remain missing. Amid the ongoing search, dozens of victims’ families have begun arriving at the Crisis Centre (MCC) of the Makassar Main Harbourmaster and Port Authority (KSOP) Office to seek certainty about the fate of their relatives. Some reported that their family members’ names have yet to appear in the official victim data. A sombre and anxious atmosphere enveloped the Makassar Main KSOP Crisis Centre. Since it opened on Sunday (2/8) evening, around 10 passenger families have visited the post to obtain information about their family members who were on the ill-fated vessel. One of them, Rastia, came on behalf of her family in Makassar to seek certainty about the condition of her cousin, Bustam Sanusi. According to her, Bustam was aboard KMP Mutiara Santosa 2 and was carrying a car when the fire occurred. “I want to find information about my cousin whose ship caught fire yesterday in Madura, named Bustam. He was carrying a car. Until now there has been no news. I came here to find out his condition because there has been no news from Surabaya,” she said at the Makassar Main KSOP Crisis Centre. Rastia admitted she is increasingly worried because her cousin’s name has not yet appeared on the victim list. “His name is not in the victim data yet. I only found out the news last night because a relative called. Until now there is still no news,” she said. The Head of the Supervision Section of Makassar Main KSOP, Bahar, said the post was opened specifically to provide information services to the families of passengers from South Sulawesi. He urged members of the public who have family members on the ship to come directly to the Makassar Main KSOP MCC to obtain official information. “We opened the post at the Makassar KSOP in the Makassar Main KSOP MCC. So the victims’ families who need information do not need to be confused, please come directly to the Makassar Main KSOP MCC,” said Bahar. According to Bahar, the post operates 24 hours a day and will remain open until the entire search process is completed. His team continues to coordinate with Tanjung Perak KSOP as the main post to obtain updates on passenger manifest data, survivors, deceased victims, and those still being searched for. “This post is open 24 hours. People who want to get information can come directly because officers are always on standby,” he said. The fire on KMP Mutiara Santosa 2 occurred on Sunday (2/8) morning while the ship was sailing from Surabaya to Makassar. Around 06.00 WIB, the captain reported the fire to the shipping company before communication with the ship was eventually cut off. The fire quickly grew and engulfed part of the ship’s body. Thick black smoke billowed high, triggering panic among hundreds of passengers who tried to save themselves by moving to the bow and open decks. In the emergency situation, a number of passengers were forced to jump into the sea wearing life jackets while waiting for help. Commercial vessels and tugboats in the vicinity provided initial assistance. The incident occurred approximately 19 nautical miles north of Sapudi Island, Sumenep Regency, East Java. After receiving the report, Basarnas, together with the Indonesian Navy, the Sea and Coast Guard Unit (KPLP), and other SAR elements, immediately deployed search and evacuation operations. Based on the latest data, KMP Mutiara Santosa 2 was carrying 271 people, consisting of 232 passengers and 39 crew members, as well as 181 vehicles. As of the latest update, the joint SAR team has evacuated 230 people, comprising 225 survivors and five deceased victims. Meanwhile, 41 others are still being searched for.