An Indonesian ferry caught fire off the coast of Java on Tuesday morning, resulting in at least five deaths and leaving dozens missing, authorities said. The Mutiara Sentosa 2 was en route from Surabaya in East Java to Makassar in South Sulawesi with 271 people on board, including 232 passengers and 39 crew members, when the blaze broke out between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. in waters near Sumenep regency.

Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) reported that the ferry operator, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, informed the Surabaya search and rescue office roughly an hour after the fire started. The ferry’s captain initially reported the fire near the northern tip of Madura island, but contact was subsequently lost. By 9:45 a.m., officials established the ferry’s location as approximately 19 nautical miles north of Buruan Sapudi island, after receiving updates via the nearby cargo vessel Meratus Project 3, which was unable to approach closely due to carrying flammable cargo.

Rescue efforts involved multiple vessels, including a tugboat and other passing ships, which began evacuating passengers shortly before 10 a.m. Footage released by Basarnas showed thick black smoke engulfing a large portion of the ferry, with flames consuming much of the vessel. Videos circulating on social media depicted passengers wearing life jackets crowded on the deck and upper sections, some jumping into the sea as the fire intensified.

By Tuesday afternoon, rescuers and nearby ships had retrieved 225 people from the water or the ferry. Meanwhile, five bodies were recovered, and at least 41 individuals remained unaccounted for.

Ferry travel is a critical mode of transportation across Indonesia’s extensive archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, but safety enforcement has faced criticism following recurrent accidents. The authorities continue to investigate the cause of the fire and coordinate ongoing search and rescue operations.