A routine sea crossing in Indonesia turned into a frantic rescue mission after a passenger ferry on the Java-to-Borneo route was overwhelmed by rough weather, leaving at least six people dead and 130 still unaccounted for, authorities said.
The Virgo Transport 8, which had 243 people on board, lost contact with its shipping company early today after it set out from Surabaya in east Java.
Basarnas, Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency, said in its latest update that six people were confirmed killed and 130 were missing. It said rescue teams had pulled 107 people to safety.
The agency said the ferry was carrying 213 passengers and 30 crew members.
Indonesian Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi confirmed the vessel had capsized.
“From the information we received, based on helicopter surveillance… the ship capsized but has not sunk. As of 3pm (local time) it had not sunk yet, but it was capsized,” he said at a news conference in Banjarmasin.
Rescuers battled waves of up to 8.2 feet to reach the ferry
Earlier, local search and rescue chief I Putu Sudayana said the captain had warned the owners that the ferry was “tilting” shortly before communications were cut.
Getting to the stricken vessel has been dangerous, with rescuers facing waves reaching 8.2 feet, Mr Sudayana told reporters.
“It is extremely risky for vessels. Even our Basarnas vessel, which is 40 metres long, is at great risk,” he said.
A Basarnas helicopter has been deployed to support the effort, he added.
The ferry’s last known location was in the Java Sea, about 93 miles from where it was due to arrive.
Heri Purwanto, head of the Banjarmasin Sea Port Authority, said the ship — which was also transporting vehicles — went out of contact at about 2am this morning.
“We responded quickly to the incident report… Our main focus and top priority at this time is the safety of everyone on board the ship, and we are deploying a coordinated rescue operation,” he said.
‘Very shocked’
Rescue officials have set up a command centre at Banjarmasin port, with paramedics and ambulances positioned nearby in anticipation of more survivors being brought in.
At the port, dozens of family members and friends crowded around a whiteboard listing the names of those rescued, watching as updates were added.
Jenah, 26, said she came to the post searching for news of her older brother.
“I am saddened and very shocked. Until now, I haven’t received any more information,” said Jenah, who like many Indonesians has only one name.
“He was travelling alone. I hope he survives. I couldn’t contact him since last night.”
Relatives of affected passengers ask for information amid ongoing rescue operations
Fatal maritime incidents are a recurring problem in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries and other boats are central to everyday travel and tourism.
Authorities and experts have long cited lax safety practices and sudden, unpredictable weather as leading drivers of such disasters.
On Monday, a speedboat carrying eight people — including five journalists working for local and international news agencies — disappeared near Mount Anak Krakatau in Banten province, and that search remains under way.
The journalists had been assigned to cover the volcano’s eruption, which forced the closure of Jakarta’s main airport and several others.
Last month, one person died in a ferry fire and five others went missing, while 211 people were rescued in the Lombok Strait off Bali.
That ferry was travelling from Bali to Lombok when it ran into trouble in the early hours of 12 August.
In July, another ferry carrying more than 70 people sank while sailing near Selayar, a small island south of Sulawesi.
