At least six people have died and 129 remain missing after an Indonesian passenger ferry carrying 243 people capsized in the Java Sea during severe weather, triggering a large-scale search and rescue operation.
The vessel, Virgo Transport 8, departed Surabaya in East Java on Saturday, Sept. 12, bound for Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan. It lost contact with authorities early Sunday as it encountered rough conditions at sea.
Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said 108 people had been rescued as of the latest update, while six bodies had been recovered. Rescue teams are continuing to search for those still unaccounted for, with navy vessels, helicopters and other boats involved in the operation.
The ferry’s manifest listed 213 passengers and 30 crew members. The vessel was also carrying 89 vehicles and was last known to be about 148km from Banjarmasin.
Survivors described a chaotic scene as the ferry overturned in rough seas. One survivor said passengers scrambled to higher parts of the vessel and clung to railings as the ship tilted and eventually capsized.
Weather conditions have complicated the rescue effort, with waves reported to have reached around 2.5 metres. Authorities have not yet determined exactly what caused the vessel to overturn, and Indonesia’s Transport Ministry said an investigation would be conducted.
The latest toll represents a sharp change from the initial reports on Sunday, when the ship was simply reported missing after losing contact. Early rescue efforts initially found 103 people, with one of those rescued later reported dead. As search teams reached more survivors and recovered bodies, authorities revised the figures.
Families of passengers have gathered at Banjarmasin’s Trisakti port and other emergency centres, waiting for news about relatives who remain missing.
Ferries are a vital part of Indonesia’s transport network, connecting communities across the country’s thousands of islands. The latest disaster comes amid renewed attention on maritime safety and emergency preparedness in the region.
Search operations remain ongoing, with authorities prioritising the recovery of the missing passengers and crew while investigators work to establish how the ferry capsized.
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