Indonesia begins operation to right capsized ship in Java Sea as 129 remain missing
Indonesian authorities have launched a salvage operation to right the capsized Virgo Transport 8 in the Java Sea to facilitate the search for 129 missing passengers. Strong currents and bad weather have hampered rescue efforts since the ship sank last weekend.
Why it matters
The incident is a significant maritime tragedy requiring complex international-standard rescue operations and highlights safety concerns in regional sea travel.
Indonesia has begun an operation to right a ship that capsized and sank in the Java Sea last weekend, officials said on Friday (September 18, 2026), as authorities continued air and surface searches for the 129 people still missing.
The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 people on a 20-hour voyage from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when it capsized in bad weather early on Sunday (September 13).
Rescuers had not been able to find more survivors or bodies until the fifth day of the search due to strong currents and large waves, so authorities decided to right the ship to make rescue operations easier.
The ship remained partially afloat for days but has now completely sunk to the seabed, authorities said late on Thursday (September 17).
Six people were confirmed dead and 108 survived the incident. The tallies have not changed since Sunday (September 13).
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