Indonesian search and rescue teams are currently working to locate 140 people who went missing in the Java Sea after their passenger vessel, the Virgo Transport 8, lost contact during severe weather on Sunday morning. The ship had been traveling from the East Java city of Surabaya toward the South Kalimantan city of Banjarmasin when communication was severed at approximately 2am.
I Putu Sudayana, head of the search and rescue agency's office in Banjarmasin, stated that the incident was reported to authorities by the ship’s operator after they received notification that the vessel had encountered hazardous weather conditions. In response, rescue teams immediately deployed a coordinated effort involving ships, a helicopter, and a dedicated search team to the vessel's last known coordinates. Sudayana did not provide specific details regarding the exact nature of the incident that befell the ship.
Prior to the current search operation, 103 people were successfully evacuated from the vessel using various ships. Officials confirmed that among those rescued, one individual died. Plans are currently in place to transport some of the survivors to a port in East Java.
Indonesia, which is comprised of an archipelago of 17,000 islands, maintains a heavy reliance on ferry services as a primary and affordable means of transit for its population. Despite the importance of these sea routes, the country faces challenges regarding the consistent enforcement of safety standards, leading to a recurring rate of maritime accidents.
More than 100 others on board were evacuated from the Virgo Transport 8 ship, including one who died
A passenger ship carrying more than 240 people was reported missing after losing contact during bad weather in the Java Sea early on Sunday, the country’s search and rescue agency said.
