Mutiara Persada III
On April 9, the 151 meter long ro-ro passenger ferry Mutiara Persada III caught fire in the Sunda Strait near Palau Tundra Island, Indonesia. The ferry was en route to Panjang from Jakarta with 76 passengers when a fire broke out on the car deck. The crew requested assistance and attempted to put out the blaze as it spread across multiple vehicles. The passengers were mustered up to the upper deck to wait for rescue. Rescue ships arrived a short time later and assisted in extinguishing the blaze. No reports of injuries. The Mutiara Persada III was escorted back to Tanjung Priok. Reports don’t state the damage to the ferry, but multiple vehicles were destroyed.