From Emergency Signal to Mass Evacuation, This is the Chronology of the KM Mutiara Sentosa II Fire

SURABAYA - A massive fire hit the KM Mutiara Sentosa II which was sailing in the waters north of Sumenep Regency, Madura, Sunday, August 2. The incident which occurred in the morning triggered a massive rescue operation after hundreds of passengers were reported to be on board.

Based on the chronology, the fire is suspected to have started around 06.00-07.00 WIB when the KM Mutiara Sentosa II was sailing from Surabaya to Makassar. The captain had sent an emergency report about the fire that hit the ship before communication with the ship was cut off.

The Surabaya SAR Office then received an official report at 08.24 WIB. Tracking results showed that the ship's position was about 19 nautical miles north of Sapudi Island, Sumenep Regency.

Upon receiving the report, the joint SAR team deployed a rescue operation involving at least nine ships around the scene of the incident. The team evacuated passengers who were still on board the ship and those who were suspected of jumping into the sea to save themselves.

The KM Mutiara Sentosa II is known to carry around 181 vehicles. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but initial indications point to a fire originating in the vehicle loading area.

Based on aerial surveillance, about 90 percent of the ship's body has been burned. No more passengers are seen on board so the search is now focused on the waters around the location of the incident to find the victims who are suspected of being thrown into the sea during the fire.

Until 16.00 WIB, the joint SAR team managed to evacuate 225 people in a safe condition, while five people were found dead. A total of 41 other people are still missing and are being searched.

Previously, in the data update at 15.15 WIB, the SAR Team recorded 218 survivors and four deaths. Based on the provisional manifest which contained 271 passengers and crew members (ABK), there were still dozens of people who had not been recorded so that the search operation continued to be expanded.

During the evacuation process, the KM Meratus Pematang Siantar rescued 109 survivors and evacuated two dead victims. TB Hasnur 26 evacuated 65 survivors and one dead victim. Meanwhile, other rescue ships managed to save dozens of other victims, bringing the total number of evacuees to 225 survivors and five dead.

All the victims who were successfully evacuated were taken to the Kalianget Port, Sumenep, to undergo health checks, data collection, and repatriation or referral to health facilities if necessary.

Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the captain of the KM Mutiara Sentosa II are still unknown after communication with the ship was interrupted shortly after the initial report of the fire was submitted. The joint SAR team is still continuing to search for the victims who have not been found.