Search continues for over 120 missing after Java Sea ferry capsizes

Indonesian authorities are conducting a large-scale search for at least 129 passengers and crew still missing after the Virgo Transport 8 ferry capsized in the Java Sea on Sunday. The vessel, which departed Surabaya for Banjarmasin with more than 240 people on board, reported rough seas and a listing before losing contact at about 02:00 local time.

I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office, said the ferry was later found overturned, prompting the deployment of a dozen vessels, including four navy ships, and two helicopters. By Sunday afternoon, rescue teams had rescued 107 people and recovered six bodies, while 108 individuals were reported safe.

The 119-metre ferry, built in Japan in 1987 and recently acquired by PT Virgo Karya Shipping, was also carrying 89 vehicles. Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi noted that aerial searches confirmed the vessel was floating upside down and had not sunk, focusing rescue efforts on the overturned hull.

Videos released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed the capsized ferry amid choppy waters and survivors being taken aboard a rescue ship at Banjarmasin’s Trisakti port. Injured passengers were transferred to ambulances for hospital care.

Relatives gathered at the port’s command centre to await confirmation of their loved ones’ status, checking passenger lists and rescue records as the search continued.