LOMBOK STRAIT — "Our top priority is the safety of all passengers and crew members," Hariyadi said. The rescue effort was supported by Indonesian navy ships, patrol boats, rescue vessels, and a helicopter for aerial survey. Waves as high as 4 meters (13 feet) complicated rescue efforts.

Discrepancies emerged regarding the number of people on board. The ferry's manifest listed 114 passengers and 17 crew members. Initial reports stated the ferry was carrying 131 people, including 17 crew members, based on the ship's manifest.

Officials stated that more people were aboard the ferry than listed on the manifest. The ferry was transporting 44 vehicles and 53 motorcycles. "The response operation is ongoing, and authorities are continuing to account for all victims," said Syamsurizal, Head of the Lembar Port Authority.

Timeline

On July 31, 2026, the Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry caught fire in waters off the island of Java less than two weeks prior to the Putri Yasmin incident, leaving at least five people dead. The Putri Yasmin ferry caught fire at 4:15 a.m. on August 12, 2026, while it was en route from Padang Bai port in Bali to Lembar port on the neighboring island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara province, according to the search and rescue office in Mataram. The ferry was en route from Padang Bai port in Bali to Lembar port on Lombok island in West Nusa Tenggara province when the fire occurred. The Putri Yasmin ferry caught fire at approximately 4:15 a.m. on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.

The Mataram Search and Rescue Agency received an emergency report approximately 30 minutes after the fire started and deployed personnel and rescue vessels. The rescue effort was supported by Indonesian navy ships, patrol boats, rescue vessels, and a helicopter for aerial survey. Authorities recovered the body of a 19-year-old Indonesian girl from the ferry. "The response operation is ongoing, and authorities are continuing to account for all victims."

What's New

The Putri Yasmin ferry caught fire at 4:15 a.m. on August 12, 2026, while it was en route from Padang Bai port in Bali to Lembar port on the neighboring island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara province, according to the search and rescue office in Mataram. The Mataram Search and Rescue (SAR) team, in coordination with the Denpasar SAR Office, conducted the evacuation of 106 passengers from the Putri Yasmin Ferry, which caught fire in Lombok Strait on Wednesday, and they were safely evacuated to Lembar Port in Lombok and Padangbai Port in Bali. The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) said rescuers evacuated 172 people from the burned vessel, including 2 Australian tourists, and recovered the body of a 19-year-old Indonesian girl.

Muhamad Hariyadi, head of the Mataram SAR Office, stated that the incident occurred at 4:15 a.m. WITA when the ferry was traveling from Pelabuhan Padang Bai to Pelabuhan Lembar, and that the SAR office received an emergency report at 4:39 WITA and immediately deployed personnel for evacuation. The rescue effort was supported by Indonesian navy ships, patrol boats, rescue vessels, and a helicopter for aerial survey. Waves as high as 4 meters (13 feet) complicated rescue efforts. Lombok is island in West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. The ferry's manifest listed 114 passengers and 17 crew members.

How Sources Differ

Sources provided different figures for the crew and passenger count. The Padang Bai Port Authority passenger manifest stated the ferry's manifest listed 114 passengers and 17 crew members. The Mataram Search and Rescue Office initial report stated initial reports stated the ferry was carrying 131 people, including 17 crew members, based on the ship's manifest.

Reports differed on the timing and nature of the search and rescue response. One source stated the Putri Yasmin ferry caught fire at 4:15 a.m. on August 12, 2026, while it was en route from Padang Bai port in Bali to Lembar port on the neighboring island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara province, according to the search and rescue office. The Mataram Search and Rescue Office incident report stated the Mataram Search and Rescue Agency received an emergency report approximately 30 minutes after the fire started and deployed personnel and rescue vessels.

Accounts varied regarding the evacuation details and prior incidents. One source stated the Mataram Search and Rescue (SAR) team, in coordination with the Denpasar SAR Office, conducted the evacuation of 106 passengers from the Putri Yasmin Ferry, which caught fire in Lombok Strait on Wednesday, and they were safely evacuated. Another source noted the Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry caught fire in waters off the island of Java less than two weeks prior to the Putri Yasmin incident, leaving at least five people dead.

Descriptions of the route and evacuation destinations differed. One source stated the Mataram Search and Rescue (SAR) team, in coordination with the Denpasar SAR Office, conducted the evacuation of 106 passengers from the Putri Yasmin Ferry, which caught fire in Lombok Strait on Wednesday, and they were safely evacuated. The Mataram Search and Rescue Office incident report stated the ferry was en route from Padang Bai port in Bali to Lembar port on Lombok island in West Nusa Tenggara province when the fire occurred.

Reports offered different specifics on the fire timing. One source stated the Mataram Search and Rescue (SAR) team, in coordination with the Denpasar SAR Office, conducted the evacuation of 106 passengers from the Putri Yasmin Ferry, which caught fire in Lombok Strait on Wednesday, and they were safely evacuated. The Mataram Search and Rescue Office incident report stated the Putri Yasmin ferry caught fire at approximately 4:15 a.m. on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.

Details on the rescue agency's actions varied. One source stated the Mataram Search and Rescue (SAR) team, in coordination with the Denpasar SAR Office, conducted the evacuation of 106 passengers from the Putri Yasmin Ferry, which caught fire in Lombok Strait on Wednesday, and they were safely evacuated. The Mataram Search and Rescue Office incident report stated the Mataram Search and Rescue Agency received an emergency report approximately 30 minutes after the fire started and deployed personnel and rescue vessels.

Attribution for the recovery of the fatality differed in specificity. One source stated the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) said rescuers evacuated 172 people from the burned vessel, including 2 Australian tourists, and recovered the body of a 19-year-old Indonesian girl. The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) statement stated authorities recovered the body of a 19-year-old Indonesian girl from the ferry.

Reports provided different details on the ferry's route and official statements. The Mataram Search and Rescue Office incident report stated the ferry was en route from Padang Bai port in Bali to Lembar port on Lombok island in West Nusa Tenggara province when the fire occurred. Another source stated Muhamad Hariyadi, head of the Mataram SAR Office, stated that the incident occurred at 4:15 a.m. WITA when the ferry was traveling from Pelabuhan Padang Bai to Pelabuhan Lembar, and that the SAR office received an emergency report at 4:39 WITA.

Why It Matters

The evacuation of 172 people and the recovery of one fatality indicate the scale of the incident in the Lombok Strait. The discrepancy between the manifest listing 114 passengers and 17 crew members and the higher number of evacuees indicates that more people were aboard than officially recorded. This follows a similar incident on July 31, 2026, when the Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry caught fire off Java, leaving at least five people dead.