Five people were killed and 41 remained missing Sunday after the KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 caught fire north of Madura Island, Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said.
Reuters reported that Basarnas said 225 of the 271 passengers and crew members aboard had been rescued as of Sunday afternoon. Search and rescue crews remained at work.
At 3:15 p.m. WIB, Basarnas had reported 218 survivors and four deaths, according to JatimNow. The figures changed as rescuers continued their work.
The ferry was traveling from Surabaya, East Java, to Makassar, South Sulawesi, when the fire began Sunday morning. ANTARA reported, citing Surabaya Search and Rescue Office chief Nanang Sigit, that the vessel was about 19 nautical miles north of Pulau Burung in the Sapudi area.
The distance is about 35.2 kilometers. Officials said much of the vessel had burned while passengers waited on the bridge and bow for evacuation.
DetikJatim reported that East Java police listed 232 passengers. Officials did not provide a separate crew count.
Commercial ships and rescue vessels helped evacuate survivors. Additional boats and personnel joined the search. Authorities had not determined the fire’s cause.
This is a developing story. Virginia Times will update as information becomes available.
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