Rescuers in Indonesia said at least six people were killed and 130 others were missing on Sunday after a ferry sailing between the islands of Java and Borneo was hit by bad weather and capsized. The Virgo Transport 8, carrying 243 passengers and crew, had lost contact with its shipping company early on Sunday after departing from Surabaya in East Java.
Basarnas, Indonesia's national search and rescue agency, said in its latest update that six people were killed and 130 were missing. It said 107 people had been rescued. There were 213 passengers and 30 crew members on board, the agency added. Indonesian Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the ship had capsized, noting that helicopter surveillance confirmed it was overturned but had not yet sunk.
Local search and rescue officials said rescuers battled waves of up to 2.5 metres to reach the ferry, describing the conditions as extremely risky. The vessel's last position had been detected in the Java Sea around 150 kilometres from its destination. Authorities have established a command centre at the Banjarmasin port with paramedics and ambulances on standby.
Marine accidents are a regular occurrence in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands that relies heavily on boat connections for daily transport and tourism. Lax safety standards and unpredictable weather remain the primary reasons for such disasters, with multiple maritime and transport incidents reported in recent weeks.