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Video: Five Dead, 41 Missing in Fire Aboard Indonesian Ferry

Mutiara Sentosa 2
Via Indonesian social media

Published Aug 2, 2026 5:10 PM by The Maritime Executive

A fire on board a crowded Indonesian ferry has killed at least five people, according to authorities in Java, and dozens of passengers remain missing. 

On Sunday morning, the ferry Mutiara Sentosa 2 was under way from Surabaya to Makassar, Sulawesi. About 39 crewmembers and 232 passengers were on board. At about 0600 hours local time, as the ferry transited past Madura Island, a fire broke out aboard the ship. The fire was not reported to authorities until an hour after the fact, according to rescue agency Basarnas. Good Samaritan vessels responded to the scene to begin a rescue, including Meratus Pematang Siantar (109 rescues), Hasnur 26, Meratus Project 3, Transco Arafura, Prakarsa Mas and SC Aila XVII. 

Survivors of the fire gathered on the bow of the ship, and appeared to be in precarious circumstances as the heat and smoke of the fire approached. The missing people are believed to have jumped over the side to escape the fire, according to local media. Video from the scene showed a strong wind and moderately rough surface conditions, less-than-ideal factors for a SAR situation. As of late Sunday, no visible personnel remained on the deck of the ferry, and search efforts were concentrated on finding survivors in the water.

Over 220 people have been rescued, at least five are dead, and a search is under way for 41 additional personnel. 

 

Early videos from the scene showed heavy smoke emanating from the aft third of the vessel; later in the day, good Samaritan vessels' footage showed that nearly the entire ship had burned through, gauging from the smoke and the scorched-off missing paint on the topsides. 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. 

Mutiara Sentosa 2 (ex name Golden Bird 5) was a 1992-built passenger ferry of 3,800 dwt capacity. The vessel was owned and operated by a domestic company, and had been in service in Indonesia since at least 2015.