Four Passengers Reported Dead Following Fire on KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2

Four passengers on the KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry have been reported dead following a fire on the vessel travelling the Surabaya-Makassar route in the waters north of Sumenep Regency, East Java, on Sunday (2/8/2026). Out of the 250 passengers on board, 218 were successfully evacuated safely.

The Head of the Surabaya SAR Office, Nanang Sigit PH, stated that this information represents the latest update as of 15:15 WIB. “From the preliminary data, 218 passengers have been rescued, while four individuals were found dead,” said Nanang.

He explained that the search and evacuation process for all passengers is still being conducted by a joint team. Survivors and deceased victims were evacuated using several vessels located nearest to the incident site. The Meratus Pematang Siantar evacuated 111 people, consisting of 109 survivors and two fatalities. TB Hasnur 26 evacuated 66 people, including 65 survivors and one fatality, while Meratus Project 3 evacuated 14 people, comprising 13 survivors and one fatality.

Additionally, Transco Arafura rescued 17 passengers, while Prakarsa Mas and SC Aila XVII each evacuated seven survivors. The fire was first reported to the Surabaya SAR Office at 08:24 WIB by the Tanjung Perak Harbour Master’s standby officer. One minute later, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran confirmed that KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 was on fire while sailing from Surabaya to Makassar with an estimated 250 people on board. According to information received by the company from the captain, the fire occurred between 06:00 and 07:00 WIB in the waters north of Madura. Following the report, communication with the captain was lost.