Not the First: KMP Mutiara Sentosa Previously Caught Fire in 2017

The company that owns the KMP Mutiara Sentosa II, the ferry that caught fire in the northern waters of Sumenep Regency, Madura, on Sunday (2/8), has now experienced two accidents. In the latest incident, the vessel owned by PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran was preparing to sail the Surabaya-Makassar route. The ship was carrying approximately 250 passengers when the incident occurred. The Head of the Surabaya SAR Office, Nanang Sigit, stated that the initial report of the ship fire was received by the duty officer from the Tanjung Perak Harbour Master at 08:24 WIB. One minute later, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, as the ship’s operator, also confirmed the incident to the duty officer. ‘The Passenger Ship KMP Mutiara Sentosa II on the Surabaya-Makassar route with approximately 250 people on board caught fire,’ Nanang said in his report. According to information obtained from the shipping company, the captain had reported that the fire broke out at the northern tip of Madura between 06:00 and 07:00 WIB. Communication with the captain was subsequently lost and could not be re-established. The SAR team immediately mobilised and coordinated upon receiving the information. At 08:30 WIB, the Surabaya SAR Office coordinated with the Tanjung Perak Harbour Master to ascertain the ship’s last position. Coordination continued at 09:00 WIB between the Sumenep SAR Post and the Kalianget Coastal Radio Station. The results of communication between the SROP and the Meratus Project 3 vessel, which was near the scene at 09:45 WIB, confirmed that the position of KMP Mutiara Sentosa II was 19 nautical miles north of Buruan Island, Sapudi. ‘The ship was almost completely burnt out and the passengers were on the bridge and the bow,’ he stated. The search process continued by the joint team. By Monday (3/8), a total of 234 passengers from the KMP Mutiara Sentosa II had been found. A total of 229 people were found alive, while five were found dead. Meanwhile, a fire on a ship owned by PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran also occurred in 2017. The KM Mutiara Sentosa I caught fire in the Masalembo Waters, Sumenep, Madura, on Friday, 19 May 2017, at around 16:00 WIB. At that time, the Head of Basarnas stated that 197 passengers jumped into the sea when the ship caught fire. The passengers panicked as the ship burned. Of that number, 192 passengers survived and five others died. Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi also noted that the shipping company had now been involved in two accidents. He stated that an evaluation of the company would be conducted. ‘We will evaluate the shipping company based on the available data; if I am not mistaken, this is the second accident,’ Dudy said while visiting the victims of the KMP Mutiara Sentosa II fire at Gapura Surya Nusantara, Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya, in the early hours of Monday (3/8). Dudy said his ministry would await the results of the investigation from the National Transportation Safety Committee to determine the exact cause of the accident before taking further evaluative steps against the company. ‘We will evaluate, but most importantly we will first look at the causes we get from the KNKT. This will also be a lesson learned for us and evaluation material for the company concerned. Because that is what we must do to give the public confidence that we are doing our best,’ he said. The Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, also urged the government to immediately evaluate the maritime transport safety system following the fire. Puan said the series of accidents should serve as a warning to the government. For millions of citizens in the archipelago, sea transport is not a lifestyle but a necessity. ‘For millions of citizens in the archipelago, sea transportation is the only access to health services, education, trade, and economic activities,’ Puan said. She also highlighted allegations of negligence and manipulation of the ship’s manifest, including the alleged absence of lifeboats. ‘The issue of ship manifests differing from the actual passengers on the ground is a problem we continuously encounter. There must be an in-depth evaluation of this issue,’ she said. Puan pushed for an evaluation of operators, ports, and regulators. She argued that the maritime transport system should not be measured solely by the smooth flow of passengers and logistics. She stated that ships must also be able to prevent accidents, accelerate victim rescue, and reduce the fatality rate of every incident. Puan urged the government to set a national target for reducing maritime transport accidents as part of the national development agenda. According to her, this target must also be accompanied by periodic evaluations of its achievements. ‘Thus, every agency or ministry, operator, and regulator has a measurable responsibility to improve public safety,’ she said.