Blaze engulfs Indonesian passenger ferry off Java, leaving at least five dead

A passenger ferry carrying 271 people caught fire off Indonesia's Madura Island on Sunday, August 2, 2026, resulting in at least five fatalities and leaving 41 individuals missing. The Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry was en route from Surabaya, East Java, to Makassar in South Sulawesi when the blaze erupted between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. local time.

Responding to the emergency, rescue efforts by various vessels successfully evacuated 225 passengers and crew members from the burning ship. Images and videos showed thick smoke billowing from the ferry as terrified passengers, many wearing life jackets, clustered on deck or jumped into the sea for safety.

Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) reported that a search and rescue operation is ongoing to locate those still unaccounted for. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and remains under investigation.