Rescuers search for 130 people after Indonesia passenger ship sinks; six dead, government says
Indonesian authorities are conducting a search-and-rescue operation for 130 missing passengers after the Virgo Transport 8 ferry capsized in the Java Sea. While initial reports suggested the ship sank, officials later clarified it had flipped, with six fatalities confirmed.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the ongoing challenges regarding maritime safety standards and infrastructure in Indonesia's island-based transport network.
Listen JAKARTA – Indonesian rescuers were searching on Sept 13 for 130 people from a passenger ship that flipped in the Java Sea after 113 others were evacuated, the country’s search-and-rescue agency said, adding that six people had died.
The Indonesian passenger ship carrying 243 people, including 30 crew members, was reported missing after losing contact with the authorities early on Sept 13 during bad weather, the search-and-rescue agency said.
The Virgo Transport 8 ship set sail on Sept 12 from the East Java city of Surabaya to the South Kalimantan city of Banjarmasin, it said.
On Sept 13, the agency said six people died after rescuers found 107 people safe, while 130 others remained missing.
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