BALINEWSID.COM, WEST LOMBOK — Search and rescue operations continued Thursday after the passenger ferry KMP Putri Yasmin, operating on the Padangbai, Bali–Lembar, West Lombok route, caught fire in the waters off Bangko-Bangko, Sekotong, West Lombok, early Wednesday (August 12, 2026).

Five people remain missing, while authorities have so far recorded 212 people evacuated from the vessel — 211 survivors and one fatality.

The ferry, operated by PT Jemla Ferry, departed Padangbai Port at around 2 a.m. local time. At approximately 4:15 a.m., a fire was reported while the vessel was sailing through the Lombok Strait.

A joint search and rescue team immediately launched an emergency operation, deploying several vessels, including KN SAR 220 Mataram, KAL Lembar, a patrol boat from the West Nusa Tenggara Regional Police Water and Air Police Unit, RIB and RBB vessels from the Mataram Search and Rescue Office, KMP Parama Kaliani, KMP Portlink II, and other vessels operating near the incident site.

The evacuation was carried out in stages. KMP Portlink II rescued 35 people, KN SAR 220 Mataram rescued 59, KAL Lembar rescued 18, RBB Basarnas Mataram rescued 24, RIB Basarnas Mataram rescued nine, the NTB Regional Police patrol boat rescued 25, and KMP Parama Kaliani rescued 39 people.

The vessel Still Here evacuated three people, including two survivors and one victim who was later confirmed dead.

The deceased was identified as Indah Dwi Septiani, 20, a resident of Mataram. She was found during the evacuation operation by the Still Here.

According to the latest information, 211 people survived and one person died, bringing the total number of people evacuated to 212. No injuries have been reported based on information from the Lembar Health Center.

However, five people remain unaccounted for, making the ongoing search operation and passenger verification the main priorities for authorities.

Officials are also continuing to verify the number of vehicles and cargo transported aboard the ferry. Initial reports indicated that approximately 79 vehicles were on board, although discrepancies remain in their classification and registration.

The fire is suspected to have originated from a vehicle, reportedly a box truck carried inside the ferry. Authorities have stressed that the suspected source has not yet been confirmed. The exact cause of the fire will be determined through an investigation involving the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) and the Lembar Port Authority and Harbor Master’s Office (KSOP Lembar).

Another major issue emerging from the incident is a discrepancy in the passenger manifest. The official manifest listed 131 passengers, while data collected in the field indicated that the actual number of passengers reached 187, a difference of 56 people.

Authorities suspect the discrepancy may have been related to the passenger recording system for vehicles, particularly truck drivers whose manifests did not necessarily include all passengers travelling with them.

Several foreign nationals were also among those evacuated and are currently undergoing further identification and verification.

Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi had earlier visited Lembar Port to inspect the handling of the victims and the emergency response following the incident.

With five people still missing, authorities are now focusing on three key priorities: locating the missing passengers, verifying the total number of people aboard the ferry, and determining the exact cause of the fire.

The extent of the material losses and the condition of KMP Putri Yasmin are also still being assessed, with official figures expected after the ongoing data collection and investigation are completed.