Welcoming hope for survivors of the ship fire in Sumenep waters

Surabaya (ANTARA) - The lights at the Gapura Surya Nusantara building in Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya, were still on well past midnight on Sunday as the facility transformed into an emergency response centre for victims of a ship fire in the northern waters of Sumenep. Ambulances lined the dock as personnel from Basarnas, the military, police, Pelindo, health workers, and volunteers prepared for the arrival of those affected by the blaze aboard the KMP Mutiara Sentosa II. In the waiting area, families of the victims kept their eyes fixed on the dock entrance, rising with every report of an approaching vessel, hoping their loved ones would be among the survivors. At around 11.15 p.m. local time, the commercial vessel KM Meratus Pematang Siantar docked, carrying 111 survivors and two deceased victims from the fire. Medical staff boarded first to triage the survivors, checking their health and fitting them with wristbands to indicate the level of care needed before they disembarked. The two bodies were evacuated in body bags to waiting ambulances and taken to Bhayangkara H.S. Samsoeri Mertojoso Hospital in Surabaya, whilst the survivors were directed to the Gapura Surya Nusantara building for further medical checks, identity verification, and family reunions. For Ahmad, an expedition driver from Wonosobo, Central Java, the arrival in Surabaya ended hours of waiting at sea. He recounted that smoke first appeared from the rear of the ship before the fire grew, disabling the engine. Passengers gathered at the bow wearing life jackets, waiting for help as the lifeboats at the stern were unusable. About three hours later, nearby vessels arrived, and some passengers jumped into the sea with life jackets to be picked up by rescue boats that could not dock due to the waves. Another survivor, Muhammad Abdul Karim, explained that the blaze nearly consumed the entire vessel, leaving only the bow as a safe refuge until help arrived. For the survivors, the journey ended at Tanjung Perak that night, but for the hundreds of personnel involved in the search and rescue operation, the work was far from over.