Indonesia has concluded its rescue mission following a tragic ferry fire, resulting in five fatalities
Indonesia concluded its ferry fire rescue operation after five fatalities were reported, confirming that all passengers and crew listed on the official manifest have been accounted for.
Indonesia has concluded its rescue operation following a tragic fire on the KM Mutiara Sentosa 2, which resulted in the loss of five lives. Authorities confirmed that they accounted for all individuals recorded on the vessel’s official manifest.
The KM Mutiara Sentosa 2 was en route from Surabaya in East Java Province to Makassar in South Sulawesi on Sunday when a fire erupted onboard, compelling hundreds of passengers and crew to make a frantic escape as emergency teams initiated a large-scale rescue operation.
National Search and Rescue Agency Chief Mohammad Syafii reported that rescuers successfully evacuated 233 of the 238 passengers and crew listed on the ferry’s manifest, while five individuals were confirmed deceased in the incident.
Officials had originally estimated that 271 individuals were on board the vessel. Syafii stated that a review of the official manifest confirmed the ferry was carrying a total of 238 passengers and crew.
Rescue officials reported that numerous survivors were left stranded at sea for several hours, donning life jackets, while others had to leap nearly 10 meters from the burning ferry into the water to evade the flames.
Authorities have initiated an investigation into the cause of the fire, and officials have not yet identified what sparked it.
Although the rescue operation has concluded, Syafii stated that search efforts could resume if families report any relatives who remain unaccounted for and were not included on the ferry’s official manifest.
Indonesia, an archipelago comprising approximately 17,000 islands, depends significantly on ferries to link communities throughout the nation. Nevertheless, maritime accidents continue to occur with some frequency due to the inconsistent enforcement of safety regulations.
