In Banjarmasin, Indonesia, authorities have increased efforts to locate dozens of individuals missing after a ferry capsized in adverse weather conditions in the Java Sea. At least six fatalities have been confirmed, and 129 individuals are still missing.
The Virgo Transport 8 ferry, carrying over 240 people, encountered difficulties when the captain issued a distress call. The vessel was experiencing severe listing due to waves rising to three meters, as it traveled from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan on Borneo Island.
Contact with the ferry was lost around 2 a.m. on Sunday. Approximately two hours later, authorities received word that the vessel had overturned in the Masalembo waters of the Java Sea, located about 148 kilometers from Banjarmasin. Video footage released by the National Search and Rescue Agency depicted the overturned ferry amidst turbulent waters during a helicopter search.
On Monday, search efforts were bolstered with the deployment of 17 ships and aircraft, involving around 622 personnel from the military, police, and various agencies. Mohammad Syafii, chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency, stated that specialized underwater teams and navy-operated drones were also being deployed to enhance search efforts and facilitate faster evacuation of victims.
We remain hopeful of finding more survivors,Syafii shared during a video briefing.
Rescue teams, supported by nearby tugboats and other passing ships, managed to save 108 people and recover six bodies on Sunday.
The ship’s manifest indicated it was transporting 243 individuals, comprising 213 passengers and 30 crew members; however, discrepancies between actual passenger numbers and the manifest are common in Indonesia. The ferry was additionally carrying 89 vehicles.
At the Trisakti port command center in Banjarmasin and another port in Surabaya, concerned relatives awaited news about their family members believed to have been on the ferry.
The Virgo Transport 8, a 119-meter ferry built in Japan in 1987, had been operational in Japan until its sale to Indonesia last year. In Indonesia, an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, ferries are a prevalent mode of transport. However, disasters frequently occur, partly due to weak enforcement of safety regulations.