Hundreds of Indonesian rescuers, backed by the coast guard and navy, are racing to find 129 people still missing after a passenger ship capsized in the Java Sea, with six deaths confirmed. The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 people when it ran into severe weather early on Sunday while sailing from Surabaya to Banjarmasin.
Rescuers have recovered 108 survivors, but rough seas and waves of up to three metres have hampered the search. Indonesia’s national rescue agency has deployed 622 personnel, 17 ships and five aircraft to the site, about 80 nautical miles from Banjarmasin. However, strong winds and currents have prevented rescuers from safely boarding the partially submerged vessel or deploying underwater teams.
Officials said the ship, which could carry up to 500 passengers, was not overloaded. It reportedly began listing heavily after large waves struck its starboard side. The Java Sea has been the scene of several major maritime disasters, underscoring the risks faced by Indonesians who rely heavily on ferries to travel between the country’s thousands of islands.