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AT least five people were killed and 41 remain missing after a passenger ferry caught fire off Indonesia's Madura Island on Sunday, authorities said, as rescuers continued an extensive search operation for those still unaccounted for.
Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) said the cause of the blaze has yet to be determined.
Reuters reported that the ferry was travelling from Surabaya in East Java province to Makassar in South Sulawesi when the fire broke out on Sunday morning.
A total of 271 passengers and crew were on board at the time of the incident. Authorities said 225 people had been rescued, while search and rescue efforts were continuing.
Videos circulating on social media showed thick black smoke billowing from the vessel as passengers wearing life jackets abandoned the ferry and entered the sea to await rescue.
According to Basarnas, the Surabaya Search and Rescue Office received a report at 8.24am local time of a vessel on fire in waters north of Madura Island.
The agency said information provided by the ferry operator, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, indicated the fire broke out between 6am and 7am local time.
The company alerted the Surabaya Search and Rescue Office about an hour later after receiving a distress report from the ferry's captain, who said the vessel was ablaze near the northern tip of Madura Island before communication was subsequently lost.
"Passengers held on in the ship's bridge and bow while awaiting rescue," Basarnas said.
"Around 10:20 WIB, a number of passengers who jumped into the sea were rescued by TB Hasnur 26 together with the tanker British Mentor. At least four vessels were in the area to assist with the rescue."
Rescue teams dispatched a search and rescue vessel from Surabaya, although officials estimated it would take about six hours to reach the scene. A rigid inflatable boat from the Sumenep rescue post was also deployed but was forced to return because of rough seas and high waves.
The Indonesian Navy has also sent a warship to assist in the operation.
The 160-metre-long ferry operates the Surabaya–Makassar route, a journey of approximately 40 hours that serves both domestic passengers and cargo traffic between the islands of Java and Sulawesi. - August 3, 2026
