Indonesia searches for 129 people missing after ferry capsizes
An Indonesian ferry carrying over 240 people capsized in the Java Sea during rough weather, leaving at least six dead and 129 missing. Authorities have launched a massive search and rescue operation involving ships, aircraft, and underwater drones.
Why it matters
Maritime safety remains a critical issue in Indonesia, where ferry travel is essential but often prone to accidents due to weather and manifest discrepancies.
BANJARMASIN, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities intensified on Monday a search for dozens of people missing after a ferry overturned in bad weather in the Java Sea previous day.
At least six passengers were killed and 129 people are still missing.
The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying more than 240 people when its captain issued a distress call, saying the ship was listing in rough seas with waves of up to three meters (10 feet), while traveling from Surabaya in East Java province to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province, on Borneo Island.
Contact was lost with the ferry at about 2 a.m. Sunday, and about two hours later authorities received infomration that the vessel had overturned in the Java Sea's Masalembo waters, about 148 kilometers (92 miles) from Banjarmasin.
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