Number of people missing unknown after Indonesian ferry fire that killed 5, rescuers say

Indonesian rescuers are presently looking for potentially missing passengers on Monday, following a ferry fire in waters off Madura Island, Indonesia on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026, which resulted in at least five fatalities. The ferry, named Mutiara Sentosa 2, was en route from Surabaya, East Java, to Makassar, South Sulawesi. According to the ship's manifest, it was carrying 232 passengers and 39 crew members when the fire erupted between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. However, by Monday morning, officials revealed that the actual number of people aboard could be significantly higher than initially reported, with the exact count of those still missing remaining uncertain.

Surgeon Nanang Sigit, who heads the Surabaya Search and Rescue Office, explained that discrepancies between reported passenger numbers and actual figures are not uncommon in Indonesia, often due to overcrowding, which complicates search and rescue operations. The cause of the fire remains unknown and is currently under investigation.

Additionally, the vessel was reportedly loaded with 180 vehicles, including mostly trucks, and an excavator. One survivor, Ahmad Abdul Karim, recounted that the fire seemed to have ignited from a truck on the lower vehicle deck. He described how the flames rapidly spread, "Fanned by the wind, the flames spread extremely quickly," and added that in less than 30 minutes, passengers were ordered to evacuate to the bow of the ferry.