Overview
- The Mutiara Sentosa 2 caught fire while sailing from Surabaya to Makassar on Sunday, August 2, 2026, and many passengers jumped into the sea as nearby ships and rescue teams began evacuations.
- Authorities say 225 people were rescued, five bodies recovered and 41 remain unaccounted for out of 271 people listed aboard, including 232 passengers and 39 crew.
- Basarnas coordinated the multi-vessel response with the Indonesian Navy, local SAR units and passing commercial boats, while rescue work was hampered by strong seas and some assisting ships carrying flammable cargo.
- Officials have not yet determined where or why the fire started and have opened an investigation, with no full passenger manifest publicly released yet to help account for those still missing.
- The incident underscores recurring safety challenges in Indonesia’s ferry system, which could prompt renewed scrutiny of vessel maintenance, loading rules and enforcement on long inter-island routes.