Indonesian ferry fire leaves five dead, 41 missing

At least five people were killed and 41 were still missing on Sunday after a ferry caught fire off Indonesia's Madura island, the country's search and rescue agency said in a statement.

Stefanno Sulaiman/Reuters

2 August 2026 at 10:08:26

Indonesian ferry fire leaves five dead, 41 missing

Rescue officers prepare for a search and rescue operation after a deadly fire on a ferry, which caught fire off Indonesia's Madura island, in Surabaya, East Java province, Indonesia, August 2, 2026.

National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS)/Handout via REUTERS

JAKARTA- At least five people were killed and 41 were still missing on Sunday after a ferry caught fire off Indonesia's Madura island, the country's search and rescue agency said in a statement.

Below are the details:

The ferry was carrying 271 passengers and crew members, 225 of whom have been rescued, agency data showed on Sunday afternoon.

A search and rescue operation was still ongoing, it added.

The ferry was heading from Surabaya in East Java province to Makassar city in South Sulawesi.

It was unclear how the ferry caught fire, but the incident occurred on Sunday morning, the statement said.

Madura island is located off the northeastern coast of Java.

Reporting by Stefanno Sulaiman; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Joe Bavier/Reuters