A ferry capsized amidst harsh weather conditions in Indonesia’s Java Sea on Sunday, resulting in approximately 130 passengers and crew members being unaccounted for, according to rescue teams. Around 107 individuals were successfully rescued, while the bodies of six passengers were retrieved as the search operation widened in the vicinity of the vessel’s last confirmed location.
The ferry, carrying over 240 individuals, was en route from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province on Borneo Island, officials confirmed.
The captain of the vessel had reported encountering turbulent seas with waves reaching up to three meters before making a distress call, citing the ship’s tilting, as stated by I Putu Sudayana, the head of the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office. Subsequently, authorities received information indicating that the ferry had overturned.
Following the loss of contact with the Virgo Transport 8 around 2 a.m. on Sunday, the rescue agency in Banjarmasin was informed two hours later. A rescue vessel was dispatched to the last known position of the ferry, with authorities mobilizing teams supported by eight vessels, including four navy ships, and two helicopters by Sunday afternoon.
Initial reports suggested that the ferry’s last known location was approximately 148 kilometers from Banjarmasin in the Java Sea. While the ship’s manifest listed 243 individuals – 213 passengers and 30 crew members – discrepancies in passenger counts from the manifest are common in Indonesia. Additionally, the ferry was transporting 89 vehicles.
Sudayana, overseeing the search efforts, mentioned that by Sunday evening, search teams, assisted by nearby tugboats and passing vessels, had rescued 107 people and recovered six bodies.
The 119-meter Virgo Transport 8 ferry, constructed in Japan in 1987, was confirmed by Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi to be afloat upside down without having sunk. Search operations were concentrated around the overturned ferry, as per statements provided to the media.
At the Trisakti port in Banjarmasin, distressed relatives awaited updates on family members presumed to be onboard the ferry, with hundreds gathered at a command center. Anxious family members checked passenger lists and rescue updates as search operations continued.
Indonesia, an archipelago comprising over 17,000 islands, heavily relies on ferries for transportation. Regular incidents occur, often attributed to poor safety oversight.
In a recent incident, at least 211 individuals were rescued from an Indonesian ferry that caught fire in rough seas near Bali, with one casualty and four missing persons. This incident followed a similar occurrence involving the Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry, which caught fire off Java’s main island, resulting in five fatalities.
Sunday’s tragedy unfolded shortly after a ferry fire in the Philippines claimed at least 76 lives, with several individuals still unaccounted for.
