Ferry and passenger boat accidents in Southeast Asia

Two deadly ferry incidents over the past week in Indonesia and the Philippines have focused attention on maritime safety in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia has more than 17,000 islands and the Philippines has more than 7,600, making ferries an important part of the region's transport networks.

Here are details of some recent maritime accidents involving passenger ferries and tourist boats in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia, September 2026 – Six people died and 129 people were still missing after a passenger ship with 243 people aboard capsized in the Java Sea, which covers the waters between Indonesia's four most-populated islands of Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi and Borneo.

The Java Sea has been the site of a number of major air and maritime accidents, including the sinking of the Tampomas II in 1981, when around 600 people died according to some estimates, and a plane crash in 2007 that killed more than 100 people.

Philippines, September 2026 – At least 76 people died when a ferry carrying more than 130 people caught fire on its way from Manila to Coron in Palawan.

Indonesia, August 2026 – One person died and more than 200 people were rescued after a ferry travelling from the tourist island of Bali caught fire on 12 August in waters off the island of Lombok.

Indonesia, August 2026 – Five people died and 233 passengers and crew were rescued from a ferry that caught fire off Madura island.

Vietnam, July 2026 – At least 15 Indian tourists died when a boat capsized off Vietnam's southern island of Phu Quoc.

Philippines, January 2026 – At least 18 people died when a vessel carrying more than 300 people capsized en route to the southern province of Sulu.

Indonesia, December 2025 – Spanish football coach Fernando Martin and three of his children died after their boat capsized in the Padar Island Strait, near a popular tourist spot.