BANJARMASIN, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities have intensified efforts to locate dozens of individuals who went missing after a ferry capsized in the Java Sea due to adverse weather conditions. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, resulted in at least six fatalities, with 129 people still unaccounted for.
The vessel, Virgo Transport 8, carried more than 240 passengers when the captain relayed a distress signal, citing severe listing caused by rough seas and waves reaching up to three meters. The ferry, en route from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan, lost contact around 2 a.m. on Sunday. Two hours later, authorities confirmed the vessel overturned approximately 148 kilometers from Banjarmasin in the Masalembo waters of the Java Sea.
Video footage released by the National Search and Rescue Agency depicted the overturned ferry floating amidst turbulent waters during a helicopter operation. By Monday, 17 ships and aircraft, including around 622 personnel from the military, police, and other agencies, were deployed under the direction of Mohammad Syafii, the agency’s chief. Specialized underwater teams and navy-operated drones were also employed to boost the search and expedite evacuation efforts. Syafii expressed hope in locating more survivors.
On the day of the incident, search teams, along with nearby tugboats and passing ships, rescued 108 people and recovered six bodies. The ferry’s manifest reported 243 individuals on board — 213 passengers and 30 crew members — though discrepancies between manifest records and actual numbers on board are not uncommon in Indonesia. Additionally, the ferry transported 89 vehicles.
Distraught family members gathered anxiously at command centers in both Banjarmasin’s Trisakti port and Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, seeking updates concerning loved ones presumed to be on the ferry and not yet found.
The Virgo Transport 8 ferry, a 119-meter vessel, was constructed in Japan in 1987 and remained in operation there until last year before being sold to Indonesia. In a nation of over 17,000 islands, ferries serve as a prevalent mode of travel. However, disasters frequently occur, partially due to inadequate safety enforcement.