At least 107 people have been rescued and six bodies recovered after the Virgo Transport 8 capsized in rough seas while sailing from Surabaya to Banjarmasin.
JAKARTA (Economy India): A massive search and rescue operation was underway in Indonesia’s Java Sea on Sunday after a passenger ferry capsized in rough weather, leaving around 130 people missing, authorities said.
At least 107 passengers and crew members have been rescued, while six bodies have been recovered so far. Rescue teams have widened the search around the vessel’s last known location as hopes remain of finding more survivors.
The accident involved the Virgo Transport 8, which was sailing from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan, a major city on the island of Borneo.
More than 240 people were believed to be aboard the vessel when it ran into severe sea conditions.
Captain Reported Waves Up to 10 Feet
According to I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office, the vessel’s captain had warned authorities about deteriorating weather conditions before the accident.
The captain reported waves as high as 10 feet (around 3 metres) and later sent an emergency message saying the vessel was beginning to list heavily to one side.
Authorities subsequently received information that the ship had capsized and gone down in the Java Sea.
The Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Agency said contact with the vessel was lost at around 2 a.m. on Saturday, with authorities being informed about the incident approximately two hours later.
A rescue vessel was dispatched towards the ferry’s last known position, triggering a large-scale maritime search operation.
Eight Vessels, Two Helicopters Join Search
By Sunday afternoon, Indonesian authorities had deployed eight vessels to support the operation, including four navy ships.
Two helicopters were also deployed to conduct aerial surveillance and help locate survivors or debris from the vessel.
The ferry’s last known position was approximately 148 kilometres from Banjarmasin in the Java Sea.
Rescue teams were also receiving assistance from nearby tugboats and other vessels operating in the area.
Sudayana said the combined efforts had resulted in 107 people being rescued, while six deceased passengers had been recovered.
The search continued for those still unaccounted for.
Passenger Manifest Lists 243 People
The official passenger manifest showed that 243 people were aboard the vessel, comprising 213 passengers and 30 crew members.
The ferry was also carrying 89 vehicles.
Officials, however, cautioned that the actual number of people aboard Indonesian vessels can sometimes differ from the number recorded on passenger manifests, making it difficult to establish the precise number of people still missing during the early stages of a disaster.
The discrepancy could therefore affect the final number of missing passengers.
39-Year-Old Vessel Built in Japan
The Virgo Transport 8 was constructed in Japan in 1987 and was approximately 119 metres (390 feet) long.
Indonesia’s Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said aerial surveillance showed that the ferry was floating upside down in the water rather than being completely submerged.
Rescue teams were therefore focusing their efforts around the overturned vessel, where survivors could potentially still be trapped or nearby.
The minister said the authorities were continuing to coordinate the search operation with naval vessels, rescue agencies and other ships in the area.
Families Gather at Banjarmasin Port
As the search continued, hundreds of anxious relatives gathered at the Trisakti Port command centre in Banjarmasin, waiting for information about family members believed to have been aboard the ferry.
Many relatives repeatedly checked official passenger and rescue lists, hoping to find the names of loved ones among those rescued.
For families, the uncertainty has been particularly difficult as rescue teams work against time and challenging sea conditions.
One woman, identified as Bunga, said she was initially shocked after seeing the name of a relative on the passenger list.
She said she was later relieved when officials informed her that the relative had been rescued.
The scene at the port reflected the uncertainty surrounding the fate of dozens of passengers who remained unaccounted for.
Ferry Accidents a Recurring Concern in Indonesia
The accident highlights the continuing challenges surrounding maritime safety in Indonesia, one of the world’s largest archipelagic nations.
With more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia relies heavily on ferries and other vessels to connect communities, transport passengers and move vehicles and goods between islands.
Ferry travel is particularly important for people living in areas where road, rail and air connections are limited.
However, maritime accidents have occurred repeatedly in the country. Safety authorities and experts have often cited weak enforcement of safety regulations, overcrowding, vessel conditions and inadequate compliance with maritime standards among the factors that can contribute to such disasters.
The latest accident is expected to renew scrutiny of passenger vessel safety, particularly the enforcement of passenger manifests, vessel capacity limits, emergency preparedness and operational restrictions during severe weather.
Rescue Operation Continues
Indonesian authorities have continued to expand the search area around the ferry’s last known position as rescuers race to locate the remaining passengers.
With 107 people already rescued and six bodies recovered, the immediate priority remains finding those still missing and determining the exact number of people who were aboard the vessel when it capsized.
Authorities are expected to provide further updates as rescue teams continue searching the Java Sea.
(Economy India)
