A fire broke out on a passenger ferry operating in East Java, Indonesia, resulting in the deaths of five people and leaving over 40 missing.
According to reports from Indonesian media outlet Kompas TV and China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, the fire occurred around 6 a.m. on August 1 near Madura Island. The ferry, named Mutiara Sentosa II, was carrying approximately 270 passengers and crew members at the time.
The Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency confirmed that five individuals have died and 41 are missing, while 225 others have been rescued.
Initially, it was reported that around 250 people were on board, but it has since been confirmed that 271 were actually present.
At the time of the incident, the ferry was en route from Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, to Makassar in South Sulawesi. The shipping company received a report from the captain about the fire earlier that morning.
Indonesian authorities stated that the vessel was engulfed in flames and have deployed rescue teams and boats to search the area. They indicated that an investigation into the cause of the fire would commence once the rescue operations are completed.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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