A ferry capsized due to severe weather conditions in the Java Sea, Indonesia, leading to approximately 130 passengers and crew members being unaccounted for, according to rescue teams. Around 107 individuals were successfully rescued, while six bodies were recovered during the expanded search operation near the vessel’s last known location.
The ferry, carrying over 240 people, was en route from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province on Borneo Island, as confirmed by officials. The captain had alerted about rough seas with waves reaching up to three meters before sending a distress signal indicating the ship was tilting, stated I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office. Subsequent reports suggested that the ferry had overturned.
After losing contact with the Virgo Transport 8 at approximately 2 a.m. on Sunday, the rescue agency in Banjarmasin was notified two hours later. A rescue ship was dispatched to the last known position of the vessel, and by Sunday afternoon, authorities had deployed teams supported by eight vessels, including four navy ships, and two helicopters.
Initial reports indicated that the ferry was last located in the Java Sea, approximately 148 kilometers from Banjarmasin. The ship’s manifest listed 243 individuals on board – 213 passengers and 30 crew members, along with 89 vehicles. Despite discrepancies often seen in passenger counts in Indonesia, rescue efforts by tugboats and passing vessels had successfully saved 107 people and retrieved six bodies by Sunday afternoon.
The 119-meter Virgo Transport 8 ferry, constructed in Japan in 1987, was observed floating upside down but not sunk during aerial searches, according to Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi. Search operations were focused around the overturned ferry as rescuers continued their efforts.
In Banjarmasin’s Trisakti port, distraught relatives anxiously awaited news about their loved ones believed to be on board the ferry, with many checking passenger lists and rescue updates. Indonesia, with over 17,000 islands, heavily relies on ferries for transportation, but safety concerns persist due to inadequate enforcement.
This tragic incident follows recent maritime disasters in Indonesia, such as a ferry fire near Bali where 211 people were rescued, and another ferry fire off Java that claimed five lives. Just days prior to this event, a ferry fire in the Philippines resulted in the loss of at least 76 lives, with several individuals still missing.