A devastating fire erupted on the KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry near Indonesia's Madura island, resulting in at least five confirmed deaths and 41 individuals still missing. The vessel, en route from Surabaya to Makassar with 271 people on board, became engulfed in flames, prompting a chaotic evacuation where many passengers were seen leaping into the water. Rescue efforts are underway, with multiple ships assisting, but challenges persist due to incomplete passenger lists and the inherent dangers of the burning ferry. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

A devastating fire erupted on the KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry near Indonesia's Madura island, resulting in at least five confirmed deaths and 41 individuals still missing. The vessel, en route from Surabaya to Makassar with 271 people on board, became engulfed in flames, prompting a chaotic evacuation where many passengers were seen leaping into the water. Rescue efforts are underway, with multiple ships assisting, but challenges persist due to incomplete passenger lists and the inherent dangers of the burning ferry. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

A devastating fire erupted on the KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry near Indonesia's Madura island, resulting in at least five confirmed deaths and 41 individuals still missing. The vessel, en route from Surabaya to Makassar with 271 people on board, became engulfed in flames, prompting a chaotic evacuation where many passengers were seen leaping into the water. Rescue efforts are underway, with multiple ships assisting, but challenges persist due to incomplete passenger lists and the inherent dangers of the burning ferry. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The death toll in the Indonesia ferry fire could rise as video footage shows many leaping into the water from the burning deck of the vessel. As per the latest reports, five people were killed, and 41 are missing on Sunday after a ferry caught fire off Indonesia's Madura island.

The ferry was heading from Surabaya in East Java province
to Makassar city in South Sulawesi when a deadly blaze tore through it. The vessel  KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 was carrying 271 passengers and crew members, of which 225 have been rescued, agency data showed on Sunday afternoon.

Indonesia’s local search and rescue office said it first received notification of the fire at 8:24 a.m. local time. According to information relayed by the ferry operator, the captain reported the fire before communication with the vessel was lost.

Rescue started immediately, and the first ship to reach the area, Meratus Project 3, was unable to approach the burning ferry because it was carrying flammable cargo. Several nearby vessels had joined the rescue effort soon. "TB Hasnur 26 and the British Mentor are assisting in evacuating passengers who jumped from KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2. Four vessels are now alongside the ferry," Nanang Sigit, head of the Surabaya Search and Rescue Office, told local media reports.

It was unclear how the ferry caught fire, but local reports hinted that the ferry had departed the port when the ship's captain reported a fire several hours into the voyage.

Authorities said rescue teams were evacuating passengers, including some who jumped into the sea to escape the blaze. However,  Inaccurate passenger manifests continue to hamper search and rescue efforts.

Footage from the ferry showed most of the vessel engulfed in flames as passengers gathered on the bridge and at the bow awaiting evacuation. Thick black smoke billowed from the upper decks as flames spread through the ferry. Passengers wearing life jackets could be seen crowding on one side of the vessel.

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