About 140 people are reported missing after the passenger ferry Virgo Transport 8 capsized due to harsh weather in Indonesia’s Java Sea on Sunday. The ship was voyaging from Surabaya, the nation’s second-biggest city, to Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan province.

This tragedy is the recent addition to a series of severe ferry mishaps in Indonesia since July, including a sinking and two onboard fires, which have resulted in several fatalities and compelled many passengers to evacuate the ships. These incidents have renewed focus on maritime safety in a country heavily dependent on sea transport.

Passengers, crew members, and their families wait anxiously for news as rescue teams persevere in challenging conditions.

Indonesia comprises over 17,000 islands, making ferries essential for millions commuting between different regions. The recent string of notable maritime accidents has intensified attention on safety procedures, passenger registration, and emergency response capabilities throughout the archipelago.

Search Effort Continues in Java Sea

Authorities state that 243 people were presumed onboard when the Virgo Transport 8 encountered inclement weather. The rescue teams face turbulent seas and strong winds while striving to reach the ship’s last known position.

I Putu Sudayana, leading the Search and Rescue Office, disclosed during a briefing, “The ship’s operator informed the authorities after receiving reports that the ferry encountered adverse weather.” A total of 102 individuals have been saved, and one death is recorded. Officials warn that the exact count of those missing might alter, as passenger numbers often deviate from official manifests.

Survivors Brought to Safety

Emergency teams have extracted survivors from the water, ferrying them to nearby areas for medical evaluation and aid. The search and rescue mission remains centered on finding anyone still unaccounted, with resources allocated to the capsizing site.

Authorities admit the uncertainty of the precise passenger tally. Such discrepancies between manifests and actual passenger numbers can hinder rescue operations and complicate determining how many individuals remain missing.

Fourth Major Ferry Emergency Since July

The Virgo Transport 8 disaster follows three other major ferry incidents in recent months in Indonesia. In July, a ferry with over 70 passengers sank near Selayar, south of Sulawesi. On August 2, the ferry Mutiara Sentosa 2 caught fire off Madura, resulting in at least five deaths. Reports indicated that 225 individuals were rescued, while 41 were missing. A second ferry fire erupted on August 12 in the Lombok Strait near Bali, causing one death, five people missing, and 211 rescues.

While these incidents involved different vessels and circumstances, their timing has led to heightened scrutiny of maritime operations in the nation.

A Nation Dependent on Ferries

Ferries form a core component of everyday life in Indonesia, linking islands, communities, and commercial hubs over vast distances of water. This dependency means major accidents can have extensive effects on travelers, local economies, and emergency responses. For families waiting for news of relatives on the Virgo Transport 8, the primary concern remains the outcome of the ongoing search effort.

This report features contributions from The Associated Press. For further information, contact Newsweek editors Daniel Orton and Robert Greenall.