Indonesia tragedy: Five dead, over 40 missing after ferry carrying 271 catches fire off Madura Island
The ferry was travelling from Surabaya to Makassar when it caught fire near Madura Island, off the northeastern coast of Java.
PTC News Desk: At least five people were killed and 41 others remain missing after a passenger ferry caught fire off Madura Island on Sunday, prompting a large-scale search and rescue operation.
According to Indonesia's search and rescue agency, the ferry was carrying 271 passengers and crew members when the fire broke out. By Sunday afternoon, 225 people had been rescued, while rescue teams continued searching for those still unaccounted for.
The ferry was travelling from Surabaya to Makassar when it caught fire near Madura Island, off the northeastern coast of Java.
BREAKING: At least five people have died and 41 remain missing after the passenger ship KM Mutiara Sentosa 2 caught fire this morning off Madura Island in the Java Sea, near Sumenep Regency, Indonesia.
— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) August 2, 2026
Inaccurate passenger manifests continue to hamper search and rescue efforts. pic.twitter.com/qqSgMYlh5B
Several rescue vessels were deployed to search the surrounding waters and account for everyone on board. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Second major ferry fire in just over a year
The latest tragedy comes a little more than a year after another deadly ferry fire in Indonesia.
In July 2025, at least three people died and around 150 others were rescued after the passenger ferry KM Barcelona 5 caught fire off North Sulawesi. The vessel, carrying about 280 people, caught fire near Manado on July 19, 2025.
Earlier, in May 2021, the ferry KM Karya Indah caught fire in the Molucca Sea shortly after departing from Ternate. All 181 passengers and 14 crew members were rescued with the help of authorities and local fishermen, and no deaths were reported.
Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago with more than 17,000 islands, frequently experiences ferry accidents. Many of these incidents have been linked to weak enforcement of maritime safety regulations and overcrowded vessels.