Four Deadly Ship Incidents Claim Lives, Transport Minister Points to Potential Sources of Disaster
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi has disclosed the government’s evaluation of a number of ship accidents that have occurred recently. Four incidents have drawn particular attention: KM Mutiara Sentosa 2, KMP Putri Yasmin, KLM Nurul Salsa 01, and KM Prince Soya.
During a working meeting with Commission V of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), Dudy stressed that the completeness of a vessel’s documents cannot be the sole measure of safety. The government is now focusing on how safety systems are actually implemented when ships are in operation.
“From the administrative and seaworthiness aspect, the vessel had the required documents. The Sailing Approval Letter was issued by the Tanjung Perak Harbourmaster on 1 August 2026. A spot check had also previously been carried out by a Marine Inspector with a seaworthy result,” Dudy said during the working meeting with Commission V of the DPR RI at the Parliament Building on Wednesday (19/8/26).
The evaluation was then directed at actual conditions in the field, including fire protection, crew readiness, the condition of vehicles and cargo, and the vessel’s ability to handle emergencies. The government is also awaiting investigation results to determine the definitive cause of each accident.
“Nevertheless, complete documentation does not mean we stop at the administrative aspect. These incidents actually serve as a basis for us to evaluate more deeply the effectiveness of the implementation of safety systems on these vessels, particularly fire protection systems, crew preparedness, the condition of vehicles and cargo, and the ability to respond to emergencies,” he said.
The government has also expanded inspections following the accidents. Operators are required to undergo additional audits and fleets are being re-examined to ensure no safety issues were missed in previous inspections.
For findings directly related to safety, the Ministry of Transport is open to imposing operational restrictions up to sailing bans. Inspections are also being directed at vehicle protection systems and the competence of personnel carrying out supervision.
“For operators, we have ordered verification audits of safety management systems and compliance documents, audits of the entire fleet as well as mandatory corrective actions, operational restrictions up to sailing bans if discrepancies are found,” Dudy said.
These measures are part of a comprehensive evaluation of the national shipping safety system. The government is also pushing for the results of each investigation not to end as mere reports, but to produce corrective actions for operators and vessels.
“Our message is clear: there must be no compromise on findings directly related to safety,” he stressed.
For context, KM Mutiara Sentosa II, serving the Surabaya-Makassar route, caught fire at sea on Sunday (2/8/2026). The Ministry of Transport confirmed the incident and stated that the fire was estimated to have occurred between 06.00 and 07.00 WIB in the waters north of Sumenep. The accident resulted in five deaths as people attempted to save themselves, also due to shortness of breath and drowning.
Meanwhile, KM Nurul Salsa sank in the waters off Polassi Island, Selayar Islands Regency, South Sulawesi, on Wednesday (15/7/2026), causing four deaths and leaving more than a dozen missing after a ten-day search effort.
On Saturday (1/8/2026), the deck of KM Prince Soya, which was docked in the Samarinda Port area, East Kalimantan, caught fire, allegedly triggered by fuel vapour. No fatalities or injuries were reported as a result of this incident.
And on Thursday (13/8/2026), the ferry KMP Putri Yasmin was reported to have caught fire in the waters off Sekotong, West Lombok, before drifting into the Indian Ocean. The Governor of West Nusa Tenggara, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, said that KMP Putri Yasmin had shifted from its initial location in the Sekotong waters because it was carried by currents.
One person died as a result of this incident and four people were still being searched for as of the final day of search operations on Wednesday (19/8/2026).