Rescue teams are searching the Java Sea for 130 people who remain unaccounted for after an Indonesian passenger ferry encountered severe weather and lost contact over the weekend.
Authorities confirmed that six people have died and 107 others have been rescued so far following the incident involving the Virgo Transport 8. The vessel was carrying a total of 243 individuals, consisting of 213 passengers and 30 crew members, when it ran into trouble during a voyage from Surabaya to the city of Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan.
According to maritime data, the ship departed from Surabaya on Saturday morning and was tracking toward its scheduled Sunday afternoon arrival. The operator, PT Virgo, issued an initial distress alert at dawn on Sunday after communications with the vessel broke down. At the time of the final report, the ship was positioned roughly 150 kilometers south of Banjarmasin.
A coordinated multi-agency response was launched immediately, involving the national search and rescue agency alongside naval forces and maritime police. Approximately 280 personnel, supported by multiple ships and an aerial asset, are currently sweeping the search zone. Nearby commercial and private vessels navigating the Java Sea have also been instructed to maintain a lookout for any survivors.
An emergency coordination center was established at Banjarmasin's Trisakti Port on Sunday morning to assist anxious families waiting for updates. Relatives have also gathered at Surabaya’s Tanjung Perak Port to seek news regarding missing crew members and passengers.
Among those waiting at the Banjarmasin port was a local resident seeking word on eight family members who had boarded the vessel to return home after visiting religious sites in Java. Relatives noted that the journey's final communications included a social media post describing severe wave conditions and heavy rocking during the night.
Other families experienced moments of relief amid the uncertainty. One resident learned that her husband, a freight driver travelling on the ship, had been successfully picked up by a responding vessel, the MV Haida.
Indonesia relies heavily on maritime transport to connect its vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands. Safety incidents occasionally occur across the extensive network of ferry routes, including a recent boat fire near Madura island last month that resulted in five fatalities.
The search and rescue effort in the Java Sea continues as authorities work to locate the remaining passengers and crew.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC News. Read the original report at BBC News.
