Inferno at Sea: Fire Onboard KMP Batumandi Triggers Emergency Evacuation Near Merak Port

CILEGON, INDONESIA — Panic erupted in the Sunda Strait on Tuesday afternoon, October 20, 2026 after a fire broke out aboard the passenger ferry KMP Batumandi as it approached Merak Port in Banten province. The blaze triggered a massive multi-agency rescue operation, resulting in the successful evacuation of all 460 passengers and crew members.

The ferry had departed Bakauheni Port in Lampung at approximately 2:52 PM WIB, heading across the busy maritime corridor toward Java. At around 4:15 PM, as the vessel entered the approach channel near Merak Besar Island, thick black smoke and visible flames were spotted billowing from near the stern.

The vessel was carrying 420 passengers and 40 crew members when the emergency unfolded. Footage shared online showed passengers putting on life jackets and gathering on the decks as flames spread through sections of the ship.

"Smoke suddenly began filling the decks as we got closer to Merak. People started scrambling for life vests while crew members rushed to direct everyone toward rescue points," one evacuated passenger recalled.

Port authorities, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the marine police, and nearby civilian vessels responded immediately to distress signals. A total of 18 vessels and supporting units—including tugboats, patrol ships, rescue launches, and local fishing boats—were deployed to manage the crisis.

Passengers and crew were safely transferred from the burning vessel onto assisting ships, including the ferry KMP Royce 1, which helped ferry the evacuees ashore to Merak Port.

Firefighting tugboats worked for hours spraying streams of water onto the superstructure to extinguish the blaze. Search and rescue personnel officially confirmed that both evacuation and firefighting operations were completed later that night at around 9:25 PM.

While no fatalities were reported, 11 individuals received medical treatment at Krakatau Medika Hospital in nearby Cilegon for smoke inhalation and minor injuries sustained during the rapid evacuation. The Banten Regional Police and maritime transport authorities have opened an investigation to determine the origin and cause of the fire, with preliminary reports indicating the blaze began near the vessel's stern section.

The incident highlights ongoing safety scrutiny over inter-island ferry services in Indonesia, where passenger vessels serve as critical lifelines across the vast archipelago nation.