At least five dead, 41 missing after ferry catches fire off Indonesia

Five people have perished and 41 remain missing after a ferry fire in Indonesia on Sunday morning, authorities have announced. The Mutiara Sentosa 2 vessel, en route from Surabaya in East Java to Makassar in South Sulawesi, carried 271 passengers and crew members. 225 individuals were rescued by Sunday afternoon, with rescue efforts still ongoing.

Some passengers reportedly leapt into the water and were retrieved by a nearby ship. Four additional vessels remained in standby position but were unable to approach due to the presence of flammable materials on the burning ferry, officials explained. Muhammad Masyhud, a senior official from the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation, stated that passengers were awaiting evacuation by nearby vessels.

The safety of passengers and crew is their utmost concern, and they are coordinating with all relevant parties to ensure a swift, safe, and efficient evacuation process. The cause of the fire is still unknown. In Indonesia, a country comprising over 17,000 islands, marine accidents are common due to volatile weather and subpar safety standards.

In a separate incident last month, a ferry carrying more than 70 people capsized near Selayar, a small tropical island south of Sulawesi, resulting in at least four deaths and 14 others remaining missing until the end of the search operation.