Rescuers search for 140 people after Indonesian passenger ship sinks
A passenger ship, the Virgo Transport 8, capsized in the Java Sea with 243 people on board, resulting in six confirmed deaths and 130 people missing. Rescue operations are currently hampered by rough weather and high waves.
Why it matters
This maritime disaster underscores the ongoing safety risks in regional ferry transport and the logistical difficulties of search and rescue in the Java Sea.
Search and rescue are ongoing after Virgo Transport 8, with 243 people on board, lost contact with its operator.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Relatives of passengers of the Virgo Transport 8 ferry wait for updates as a search-and-rescue agency officer writes on a whiteboard in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, September 13, 2026 [INFUZ via AFP] By AFP , AP and Reuters Published On 13 Sep 2026 13 Sep 2026 Correction A previous version of this article stated that the ship had sank. This was incorrect. The ship capsized. Rescuers in Indonesia say six people have been killed and 130 were missing after a passenger ship capsized in the Java Sea.
The Virgo Transport 8, with 243 passengers and crew on board, lost contact with its operator in the early hours of Sunday, according to Basarnas, Indonesia’s search and rescue agency.
Also covering this story
11 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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