KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 burns off Sumenep; 250 evacuated
At least 9 vessels were dispatched to the site 19 nautical miles north of Pulau Sapudi, while the casualty count remained unclear.
KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 caught fire in waters off Sumenep, East Java, on Sunday morning while sailing from Surabaya to Makassar with about 250 passengers and crew aboard. The Surabaya SAR office received a report from Syahbandar Tanjung Perak at 08.24 WIB and coordinated efforts to track the vessel's last known position. The fire was reported about 19 nautical miles north of Pulau Burung, Sapudi. Part of the ship had already burned as passengers remained on the bridge and bow. Evacuation efforts involved TB Hasnur 26 and British Mentor, after several passengers jumped into the sea around 10.20 WIB. KN SAR 249 Permadi, Pos SAR Sumenep and other units also moved to the scene. As of the report, the rescue operation was still under way and there were no official figures on casualties or a confirmed cause of the fire.