The Mutiara-Persada-Iii: Crew Feedback and Vessel Data

The National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) has initiated an inquiry into the fire that broke out aboard the ferry 'Mutiara Persada III' on April 9 in the Sunda Strait near Tunda, Serang regency. In response to the emergency, five safety officers were dispatched to the vessel using patrol boats from Indah Kiat Port. Additional officers from the NTSC also traveled from Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta to assist in the situation. Fortunately, the ferry successfully returned to Lampung, carrying 76 passengers and 37 crew members, with a safe escort provided by the 'Mutiara Barat'. For more detailed coverage, you can view reports and images at Tangerang Hits: http://www.tangeranghits.com/mega-metropolitan/berita/51749/km-mutiara-persada-iii-terbakar-di-perairan-selat-sunda and http://www.tangeranghits.com/mega-metropolitan/berita/51795/knkt-investigasi-terbakarnya-kapal-mutiara-persada.

A significant fire erupted on the car deck of the ferry 'Mutiara Persada III' on April 9, 2017, at 9:20 p.m. while it was traveling from Jakarta to Panjang port through the Sunda Strait, located west of Jakarta. Amid the chaos, the ferry anchored off the coast of Pulau Tunda island, where 76 passengers were assembled on the upper deck in anticipation of evacuation. The fire was successfully suppressed by 1 a.m. on April 10, although it led to the destruction of three vehicles onboard. Emergency rescue teams remained on the scene to manage cooling efforts and tackle smoldering remnants. Several vessels, including a rescue ship, a tugboat, and the passenger ferry 'Mutiara Timur 1', were deployed to the area to provide assistance.

On July 13, 2015, the ferry Mutiara Persada III encountered a significant engine failure while traveling from Surabaya to Lampung. This malfunction caused the vessel to lose power and drift toward the small island of Pulau Tempurung in the Sunda Strait, ultimately running aground. At the time of the incident, there were 142 individuals on board, including truck drivers. Thankfully, all passengers were safely evacuated using nearby boats and later transported to Merak. Preliminary investigations indicated that water intrusion in the fuel lines may have been a contributing factor to the engine failure. For further details, you can refer to the Indonesian report, which includes a photo of the incident: http://nasional.tempo.co/read/news/2015/07/14/058683724/kapal-mutiara-persada-iii-kandas-di-selat-sunda.