A serious maritime tragedy off the coast of Indonesia. The passenger ferry “Virgo Transport 8“ capsized in the Java Sea while traveling from Surabaya on Java island to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province.
There were 243 people on board - 213 passengers and 30 crew members. The ship was also carrying 89 cars. According to the latest data, six people have died, 108 have been rescued, and another 129 are missing, Reuters reports.
The incident occurred early Sunday in severe weather conditions. The ferry reported a distress call and then lost contact with the coastguard. Rescue teams have located the capsized vessel and launched a massive search operation for survivors.
The operation involves Indonesian navy ships, rescue boats and helicopters. Rescuers are continuing to search the area around the last known location of the ferry.xuidkXvI7TCMRp_IiY_QJIDllinrqYXQfHF8IekWzWTxhnJpXVRhjzbmldEzqEwxn758HId6gRjVK5evuSrs0Qja3oa9IuPxBLhlyS7fqbZ4g-Q"," attribution_segments":null,"supporting_websites":[],"refs":[{"turn_index":0,"ref_type":& quot;news","ref_index":77}],"hue":null,"attributions":null}],"status":"done","error":null,"style":null,"fallback_items":null},"showLoginRequiredCard":false}
Bad weather is seriously hampering the operation. According to Indonesian authorities, waves in the area reached about three meters, posing a danger to both people in the water and rescue teams.
Rescued passengers were transported to the coast, where they received medical attention. Meanwhile, relatives of those still missing are awaiting information in Banjarmasin.
„Virgo Transport 8“ was built in Japan in 1987 and was recently acquired by Indonesian company PT Virgo Karya Shipping. The cause of the accident is under investigation, with authorities currently citing severe weather as the main factor.
Indonesia is an archipelago of thousands of islands, where ferry transport is vital for millions of people. However, the country is often hit by serious maritime accidents, which periodically raises questions about the safety of passenger transport.
Authorities are continuing the search, with the main goal being to find as many of the people still missing as possible.