Six dead and 130 missing after Indonesian ferry loses contact in Java Sea
Search teams are looking for 130 people after the Virgo Transport 8 lost contact while travelling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin in bad weather.
Six people have died and 107 have been rescued after the Indonesian passenger ferry Virgo Transport 8 lost contact in the Java Sea, according to Indonesia’s search and rescue agency. Authorities said 130 people remained missing.
The ferry was carrying 243 people, including 213 passengers and 30 crew members. It was travelling from Surabaya to the South Kalimantan city of Banjarmasin and was last reported about 150 kilometres south of Banjarmasin at around 02:00 local time on Sunday.
Authorities received a distress report from the vessel’s operator, PT Virgo, at 04:10. The ferry had left Surabaya at 10:33 on Saturday and was scheduled to arrive in Banjarmasin at 14:00 on Sunday.
A joint operation involving Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, navy, maritime police and other parties is under way. Ships and a helicopter have been deployed, with about 280 personnel involved. Vessels in the area have been alerted to report any signs of passengers.
An operations post has been established near Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin, where relatives have gathered seeking information. Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said Indonesia’s National Transport Safety Committee would investigate the incident.
The cause of the loss of contact has not been established. Indonesian authorities said the vessel had encountered bad weather, while casualty and rescue figures may change as the search continues.
