Indonesia: 5 dead, 41 missing as ferry catches fire

By Snehil Singh

Aug 02, 2026

05:04 pm

What's the story

A tragic incident occurred off the coast of Madura Island, Indonesia, on Sunday when a ferry carrying 271 passengers and crew members caught fire. The vessel was en route from Surabaya in East Java province to Makassar in South Sulawesi when the blaze erupted. So far, at least five people have been confirmed dead, and 41 others remain missing.

Rescue efforts

Search operation underway to find missing passengers

Emergency teams and nearby vessels have joined forces in a bid to rescue those on board the ill-fated ferry.

As per the country's search and rescue agency, 225 people have been rescued so far. The ongoing search operation is focused on finding the missing passengers.

However, authorities are yet to ascertain what caused this devastating incident.