Surabaya, Eyewitness | The passenger boat (KMP Mutiara Santosa 2) was reported to have caught fire in waters north of Sumenep, Madura, on Sunday, August 2, 2026. The SAR team, along with several related agencies, is currently working to evacuate all passengers.
The Head of the Surabaya SAR Office, Nanang Sigit P, stated that initial information was received at 8:24 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB). The information came from the Tanjung Perak Harbor Master regarding a boat on fire in waters north of Madura.
“One minute later, at 8:25 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB), PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran contacted the standby officers at the Surabaya SAR Office. They informed them that the KMP Mutiara Santosa 2, en route from Surabaya to Makassar, with approximately 250 people on board, had caught fire,” Nanang said.
According to Nanang, the company received information from the captain that the fire broke out around 6:00-7:00 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB). After submitting the report, the captain could not be contacted again.
Based on coordination with various parties, the ship was located approximately 19 nautical miles north of Burung Island, Sapudi. At that time, the ship was reported to be nearly completely burned, while passengers remained on the bridge and bow.
“The Meratus Project 3 vessel was in the vicinity, but could not approach due to its flammable cargo. The TB Hasnur 26 then moved closer to the ship to evacuate all passengers,” he said.
At 9:59 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB), the TB Hasnur 26 began the evacuation process. Meanwhile, the Sumenep SAR Post deployed RIB 01 to the location.
Furthermore, the KN SAR 249 Permadi departed from Surabaya with an estimated travel time of approximately six hours. Nanang added that at 10:20 a.m. Western Indonesian Time, several passengers reportedly jumped overboard to save their lives.
They were then evacuated by the TB Hasnur 26 and the British Mentor. Four ships were present at the scene to assist in the rescue.
As of this writing, the evacuation process is still ongoing. There have been no official reports regarding the number of casualties or the cause of the ship fire.
The exact number of casualties remains unknown, and as of this writing, there is no information on whether any foreign nationals were among the victims.
