Four Passengers Reported Dead in Mutiara Sentosa Ship Fire

Four passengers on the Mutiara Sentosa 2 ship have been reported dead following a fire incident in the waters north of Sumenep, Madura, on Sunday (2/8). The Head of Public Relations and General Affairs of Basarnas, Hendra Sudirman, stated that as of 15:15 WIB, a total of 218 passengers had been evacuated. “218 victims were evacuated. 214 survived and four passed away,” Hendra told CNNIndonesia on Sunday.

KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 was reported to have caught fire in the waters north of Sumenep, Madura, on Sunday morning. The vessel, operating on the Surabaya-Makassar route, was carrying approximately 250 passengers at the time of the incident. Initial information regarding the fire was received by the Surabaya SAR Office standby officers from the Tanjung Perak Harbour Master at 08:24 WIB. One minute later, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, the ship’s operator, also confirmed the incident to the standby officers.

According to information provided by the shipping company, the captain initially reported that the fire occurred at the northern tip of Madura between approximately 06:00 and 07:00 WIB, after which communication with the captain was lost. The SAR team immediately initiated coordination steps upon receiving the information. At 08:30 WIB, the Surabaya SAR Office coordinated with the Tanjung Perak Harbour Master to confirm the ship’s last position. Coordination continued at 09:00 WIB between the Sumenep SAR Post and the Kalianget Coastal Radio Station (SROP).

Communication between the SROP and the Meratus Project 3 vessel, which was near the incident site, confirmed at 09:45 WIB that the KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 was located 19 nautical miles north of Buruan Island, Sapudi. Several units participated in the search and rescue operation, including KN SAR 249 Permadi, Surabaya SAR Office, Sumenep SAR Post, Surabaya Harbour Master, VTS Surabaya, SROP Kalianget, KSOP Kalianget, Meratus Project 3, and TB Hasnur 26.