Five Victims of KMP Mutiara Sentosa Fire Identified
The East Java Police’s Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team has successfully identified five bodies recovered following the fire on the passenger ferry KMP Mutiara Sentosa II. The identification process was completed on Monday evening.
East Java Police Head of Public Relations, Commissioner Jules Abraham Abast, confirmed that all five body bags received by authorities had been identified. ‘As of today, five body bags have been received and successfully identified by the East Java Police DVI team,’ he stated at Bhayangkara Hospital, Surabaya.
East Java Police Head of Medical and Health, Commissioner Wahono Edhi, explained that the identification was carried out on the bodies discovered between Sunday and Monday. ‘The DVI team received five bags handed over to Bhayangkara Hospital Surabaya, then conducted identification. Alhamdulillah, all have been identified with details,’ he said.
The identification process involved personnel from various agencies, including the East Java Police Criminal Investigation Directorate, the Water and Air Police Directorate, Bhayangkara Hospital Surabaya, Bhayangkara Hospital Pamekasan, medical units in Perak and across Madura Island, as well as forensic teams from Airlangga University, Jasa Raharja, the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the Indonesian Red Cross, local health offices, and the local disaster mitigation agency.
The five identified victims are: Sri Indratmo Wijaya, a 47-year-old male from Pati, Central Java; Siti Fatimah, a 57-year-old female from Makassar, South Sulawesi; Sari Sukoco, a 39-year-old male from Tulungagung, East Java; Rino Eka Putra, a 48-year-old male from Agam, West Sumatra; and Yedi Hendrawan, a 63-year-old male from Kapuas, Central Kalimantan. All were identified using primary data such as fingerprints and dental records, alongside secondary data including medical records, visual recognition, and personal belongings.
Regarding the cause of death, Wahono stated that forensic examinations showed none of the five victims died from burn injuries. Instead, they suffered shortness of breath due to smoke inhalation and exhaustion. ‘From our examination, the forensic team at Bhayangkara Hospital Surabaya found that on average, these victims experienced shortness of breath from the smoke, then they jumped. Due to the shortness of breath, they jumped, their consciousness was poor, so they drowned,’ he explained. Others may have been unable to swim or became weak, possibly from swallowing seawater.
Although these five bodies have been identified, Wahono noted that the DVI operation will continue until officially concluded by the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) or the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD). An information channel has also been established for families or members of the public who have lost relatives in the incident. They are urged to provide information about passengers of the KMP Mutiara Sentosa II by contacting the DVI team hotline at 085190447911. The five identified bodies were scheduled to be handed over to their respective families on Monday evening.
The KMP Mutiara Sentosa II caught fire in the waters north of Sumenep, Madura Island, East Java, on Sunday morning. The vessel, serving the Surabaya-Makassar route, was carrying approximately 250 passengers at the time of the incident.