One dead, 102 rescued after Indonesian ferry loses contact in Java Sea
Search teams are continuing to look for passengers and crew from the Virgo Transport 8 after it lost contact during rough weather.
One person has died and 102 have been evacuated from an Indonesian passenger ferry that lost contact with its operator in the Java Sea, according to Indonesia’s search and rescue agency.
The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 people when contact was lost during a storm in the early hours of Sunday. The ferry had departed Surabaya on Saturday and was travelling to Banjarmasin, a port city on Borneo.
Rescue ships and a helicopter are searching for the remaining passengers and crew. The ferry’s last known position was about 81 nautical miles, or 150 kilometres, from Banjarmasin.
Local search and rescue chief I Putu Sudayana said rough conditions were hampering the operation, with waves reaching up to 2.5 metres. He described the conditions as extremely risky for vessels involved in the search.
The ferry’s current condition and the cause of the loss of contact remain unknown. The operation follows other recent Indonesian ferry incidents, including a fatal fire last month and a sinking near Selayar Island in July.
