The Ministry of Transportation Deploys the KM Mutiara Sentosa II Evacuation Patrol Ship

Screenshot - KM Mutiara Sentosa II which was burned in the waters of the Java Sea, Sunday (2/8/2026). (Dok-Kemenhub)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Transportation has deployed patrol ships of the Maritime and Coastal Guard Unit (KPLP) and strengthened coordination with Basarnas and related agencies in handling the fire of the KM Mutiara Sentosa II in the Java Sea.

Director General of Maritime Affairs of the Ministry of Transportation, Muhammad Masyhud, in Jakarta, Sunday, said the main focus at this time is to ensure that the evacuation process of all passengers and crew members takes place quickly and safely.

"The main focus at this time is to ensure that the evacuation process of all passengers and crew can take place quickly, safely, and optimally," he said.

According to Masyhud, based on the initial report, the fire is estimated to have occurred at 06.00-07.00 WIB in the waters north of Sumenep.

The information was received by the Ministry of Transportation around 08.30 WIB and was immediately followed up with coordination with Basarnas and related agencies.

In the initial handling, the Directorate General of Maritime Affairs through the Kalianget SROP broadcast information about the ship accident, while the KPLP deployed the KN Grantin P.211 and the Navigation District prepared the KN Masalembo to support the rescue operation.

Masyhud explained that one of the first ships to find the position of KM Mutiara Sentosa II was Meratus Project 3, but the ship could not evacuate because it was carrying dangerous cargo, so the rescue was continued by another ship around the location.

The Directorate General of Maritime Affairs stated that the evacuation process was still ongoing with the support of a number of commercial vessels, while the cause of the fire was still under investigation.

The Ministry of Transportation will continue to monitor developments in the field and provide further information after all data has been verified.

Previously, the National SAR Agency (Basarnas) stated that as many as 232 victims of the Mutiara Sentosa 2 KMP fire in the North Waters of Sumenep, East Java, were successfully evacuated until Sunday at 18.00 WIB, with 227 people alive and five dead.

Head of the Surabaya Class A SAR Office Nanang Sigit PH said the evacuation process was carried out by the joint SAR elements along with a number of ships that were around the location of the incident.

"Temporary data until 18.00 WIB, a total of 232 people were successfully evacuated, consisting of 227 survivors and five deaths," said Nanang in Surabaya.