Indonesian authorities have arrested the captain of the ferry Virgo Transport 8, which capsized in the Java Sea last month in a disaster that has left at least 78 people dead and 57 others still missing.
National police spokesperson Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko said on October 1 that the captain had been arrested and named a criminal suspect over his alleged role in the September 13 accident. The arrest comes as search teams continue efforts to locate passengers who remain unaccounted for after the ferry overturned during a voyage from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan.
The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 people when it capsized in bad weather. Authorities said 108 people survived the disaster, while the latest figures from Indonesia’s search and rescue agency put the death toll at 78 and the number of missing passengers at 57.
Senior police official Kukuh Prabowo, cited by Indonesia’s state news agency, said investigators suspect the captain knowingly operated a vessel that was not seaworthy. The alleged violation falls under Indonesia’s shipping law, which can carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years when an offence results in deaths and property damage. Police have not yet disclosed detailed allegations against the captain.
Indonesian police said the captain, identified by authorities by the initials AY, is being detained in South Kalimantan while the investigation continues. Investigators have also questioned surviving crew members and other people connected to the ferry as they examine the circumstances surrounding the sinking. Police said the investigation could lead to the involvement of additional parties.
The recovery operation has been particularly difficult because of conditions around the wreck. Divers have had to contend with strong sea currents, the unstable structure of the overturned vessel, sharp objects inside the ship, fuel leaks and hazardous concentrations of gas. These conditions have limited access to parts of the ferry where missing passengers could still be located.
Authorities have said that the vessel may need to be stabilized and brought to the surface to allow rescuers to safely reach compartments that remain difficult for divers to enter. The operation has therefore continued as both a recovery effort and part of the investigation into how the ferry disaster occurred.
The ferry had been traveling between major population centers in Indonesia when contact was lost in the Masalembo waters of the Java Sea. Its capsizing has renewed attention on vessel safety and compliance with maritime regulations, particularly as investigators examine whether the ship was fit to sail under the conditions at the time.
For now, authorities are continuing to search for the 57 people still listed as missing while pursuing the criminal investigation into the ferry’s operation. The captain’s arrest represents a major development in the case, but investigators have not yet released a full account of the circumstances that led to the deadly capsizing.
