Indonesian rescue services have located the overturned hull of the passenger ferry Virgo Transport 8, which suffered a shipwreck in the Java Sea. A large-scale search and rescue operation continues in extremely difficult weather conditions. It is officially reported that at least six dead, 108 rescued, and the fate of about 129 people remains completely unknown.
The vessel carrying 243 passengers and crew, as well as 89 vehicles, were travelling from the city of Surabaya (East Java province) to Banjarmasin on the island of Borneo. In the early hours of 13 September, the captain sent a distress signal, reporting that the ship was listing dangerously due to three-meter waves. Shortly after, the connection was lost, and the ferry capsized in the area of the Masalembo Islands.
Aerial footage released by Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) confirmed that the 119-meter ship was floating completely upside down, but had not yet completely sunk. According to information from the Indonesian authorities, quoted by world agencies, the operation involves over 600 rescuers, 17 ships, helicopters and specialized underwater thermal drones.
Survivors of the disaster tell local media about a sudden strong roll that caused mass panic. The rapid turnaround is believed to have trapped many people in economy class cabins. Indonesia's transport ministry said the ferry, purchased from Japan last year, was not overloaded, but an investigation into the exact technical or human causes of the incident is still ongoing.