Update, 22 October 2026: The burnt ferry capsized and sank in the entrance channel to Merak port. This happened on Wednesday, 21 October, at about 20:54 local time, after the fire was put out. The ferry operator ASDP said the weight of the firefighting water made the ship lean over and sink. Buoys now mark the wreck. An oil boom, a floating barrier, was placed to stop oil from spreading. The Ministry of Transport and ASDP are preparing a salvage operation to lift the ship. Ferries at Merak are running normally.
A passenger ferry caught fire near Merak port on the island of Java, Indonesia, on Tuesday, 20 October 2026. All 420 passengers and 40 crew on the KMP Batumandi were taken off safely. No one died, Indonesian officials said.
The Batumandi is a ro-ro ferry. Ro-ro means "roll-on, roll-off": cars and trucks drive on and off the ship. It sails across the Sunda Strait between Bakauheni on Sumatra and Merak on Java. This is one of the busiest ferry routes in Indonesia.
What happened
The ferry left Bakauheni at 14:52 local time. At about 16:15 it was in the entrance channel to Merak and getting ready to berth. Then the fire was reported, according to the harbour master's office for Banten (KSOP Banten).
Early reports do not agree on where the fire started. Merak Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) is the local traffic control for ships. The first report to VTS Merak said the fire was in the engine room. The ferry operator, ASDP Indonesia Ferry, said staff ashore saw sparks at the stern. They were on the upper deck for small vehicles.
VTS Merak sent out an emergency message. It called tugs, other ferries and port boats to help. At 16:56, the ferry KMP Royce 1 reported that all passengers and crew of the Batumandi were on board. That was about 40 minutes after the first report.
The Banten search and rescue office said 18 ships and support units took part. They included rescue boats, tugs, patrol boats, other ferries and local fishing boats. Eleven people went to Krakatau Medika hospital in Cilegon for treatment. At 21:25 a tug reported that the evacuation and firefighting were finished.
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The post above is from Indonesia's Ministry of Transport. It says Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi went to Merak port to see the evacuation work for himself.
Investigation
The cause of the fire is not known. The minister asked the police and the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) to investigate. KNKT is Indonesia's safety investigation board. The national police chief said the police will check if the cause was technical or not.
On 22 October, Banten police said they had questioned 18 witnesses. They include passengers, bus drivers, the chief engineer and other crew. Police plan to refloat the ship first. Then they will examine it with the national police forensic laboratory.
The head of KSOP Banten, Yogie Nugraha, asked all ship operators to keep their ships in good technical condition. He also asked them to be better prepared for emergencies.
What crews can take from it
On a ferry, the crew must move hundreds of people who do not know the ship. Here 40 crew helped move 420 passengers. Know your muster station duties and practise them in every drill.
Fires on vehicle decks can spread fast. Know where the fire detection, sprinklers and fire doors for each deck are, and how to start them.
Water used to fight a fire adds weight and can make a ship unstable. During long firefighting, watch the list (how much the ship leans) and remove water where you safely can.
Report early and clearly to VTS or the coast station. In this case the VTS called many nearby ships quickly, and they helped.
If your ship is called to help, follow the instructions from the rescue centre or VTS. Prepare your rescue boat, ladders and space for survivors.
Do not guess the cause of an accident. Wait for the official investigation, and help investigators with what you saw.
Read more on Crewboard:
Cover photo: KMP Batumandi near Merak port in April 2024, before the fire. Photo: Jauhsekali/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized).
Sources: detikNews: KMP Batumandi Tenggelam Usai Dipadamkan, Operasi Pengangkatan Disiapkan (22 Oct 2026, in Indonesian), CNBC Indonesia: Bangkai KMP Batumandi Mau Diangkat, Operasional di Merak Normal (22 Oct 2026, in Indonesian), detikNews: Polisi Periksa 18 Saksi Terkait KMP Batumandi Terbakar di Merak (22 Oct 2026, in Indonesian), ANTARA: Kemenhub terus kawal penanganan insiden KMP Batumandi di Merak Banten (22 Oct 2026, in Indonesian), ANTARA: Kemenhub: Seluruh penumpang KMP Batumandi dievakuasi kondisi selamat (20 Oct 2026, in Indonesian), CNN Indonesia: Kemenhub Beber Kronologi Kebakaran KMP Batumandi (20 Oct 2026, in Indonesian), CNN Indonesia: Fakta-fakta Kebakaran KMP Batumandi di dekat Pelabuhan Merak (21 Oct 2026, in Indonesian, with Banten SAR office figures), Kompas: KMP Batumandi Terbakar di Merak, Ini Penjelasan ASDP (20 Oct 2026, in Indonesian), ANTARA: Polri akan selidiki penyebab KMP Batumandi terbakar di Merak (21 Oct 2026, in Indonesian), Xinhua: 460 evacuated after ferry catches fire off Indonesia's Java coast (20 Oct 2026), Kemenhub RI (Indonesian Ministry of Transport) on X (20 Oct 2026).
