KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 Tragedy: 218 Passengers Saved, Four Fatalities Reported

A total of 218 passengers were successfully evacuated following a fire on the KMP Mujuara Sentosa 2 ferry in the northern waters of Sumenep Regency, East Java, on Sunday (2/8). Four passengers have been reported dead.

The Head of the Surabaya SAR Office, Nanang Sigit P. H., stated that as of 15:15 WIB, the total number of evacuated individuals reached 222, comprising 218 survivors and four fatalities. “As of 15:15 WIB, the total number of evacuated victims includes 218 survivors and four deceased,” Nanang said in his statement.

He explained that the victims were evacuated by several ships in the vicinity. The Meratus Pematang Siantar evacuated 109 passengers and two deceased victims, while the TB Hasnur 26 rescued 65 passengers and one deceased victim. Additionally, the Transco Arafura rescued 17 passengers, the Meratus Project 3 rescued 13 passengers and one deceased victim, Prakarsa Mas rescued seven passengers, and SC Aila XVII rescued seven passengers.

Meanwhile, the Head of Emergency and Logistics at the East Java BPBD, Satriyo Nurseno, reported that the fire broke out around 07:00 WIB. The KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2, which serves the Surabaya-Makassar route, caught fire while sailing in the northern waters of Sumenep. “KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 was carrying 232 passengers and 39 crew members,” Satriyo noted in his report.

As of 14:40 WIB, the evacuation process was still ongoing. The East Java BPBD reported that approximately 40 passengers remained on the ship awaiting rescue. The fire also affected the vessel’s cargo, which included 15 motorcycles, 25 cars, 140 trucks, and one piece of heavy machinery.

The emergency response involves the East Java Provincial BPBD, Sumenep Regency BPBD, Surabaya SAR Office, Sumenep SAR Post, Sumenep Marine Police, Surabaya Harbour Master, and TB Hasnur 26. Furthermore, the KN SAR 249 Permadi and RIB 01 Sumenep were deployed to the location to accelerate the evacuation process.