Indonesia Continues Search for at Least 129 Missing After Ferry Capsizes, 6 Bodies Recovered
BANJARMASIN, Indonesia (AP) — Search teams continued efforts Sunday to locate at least 129 people missing after a ferry overturned in rough weather in Indonesia’s Java Sea.
At least 108 people were rescued, while the bodies of six passengers were recovered as authorities expanded the search around the vessel’s last known location.
The ferry, Virgo Transport 8, was carrying more than 240 people while traveling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province on Borneo Island, officials said.
Before the accident, the ship’s captain reported rough seas with waves reaching up to 3 meters (10 feet). He later issued a distress call reporting that the vessel was listing, according to I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office.
Authorities subsequently received information indicating that the ferry had overturned.
The Banjarmasin rescue agency said it received a report about two hours after contact with the ferry was lost at around 2 a.m. Sunday.
A rescue vessel was initially sent toward the ship’s last known position. By Sunday afternoon, authorities had expanded the operation to include teams supported by about a dozen vessels, including four navy ships, as well as two helicopters.
The ferry’s last known position was in the Java Sea, approximately 148 kilometers (92 miles) from Banjarmasin.
According to the ship’s manifest, the vessel was carrying 243 people, including 213 passengers and 30 crew members. However, officials noted that passenger numbers in Indonesia can sometimes differ from the figures listed on manifests.
The ferry was also transporting 89 vehicles.
Sudayana, who was coordinating the search operation, said rescue teams, aided by nearby tugboats and other vessels in the area, had rescued 107 people and recovered six bodies by Sunday afternoon.
Authorities continued searching the waters around the vessel’s last known location as they worked to determine the fate of those still missing.
SOURCE: Associated Press (AP), Iman Satria and Niniek Karmini, September 14, 2026.
