Key facts
- The Virgo Transport 8 capsized in the Java Sea due to bad weather.
- At least six people have died, and 130 others are missing.
- 107 people have been rescued.
- The ferry was carrying 243 people.
- Rescue efforts are hampered by waves up to 2.5 meters.
Rescue workers in Indonesia continued their search on Sunday for 130 people missing after the passenger ferry Virgo Transport 8 capsized in the Java Sea due to bad weather. Six deaths have been confirmed, and 107 people have been rescued from the vessel, which departed from Surabaya on Saturday with 243 people on board.
The ferry lost contact at 2 a.m. Sunday, approximately 150 kilometers from its destination in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan. Indonesia's transport minister confirmed the vessel had capsized but had not sunk as of Sunday afternoon. Rescuers are contending with waves up to 2.5 meters, making operations extremely risky. A Basarnas helicopter has joined the search, and evacuees are being transported to various ships and ports.
Indonesia, an archipelago heavily reliant on ferry transport, has a history of maritime accidents due to safety standards not always being rigorously enforced. This incident follows other recent maritime accidents, including a speedboat going missing near Mount Anak Krakatau and a ferry fire in the Lombok Strait.