Search underway after Indonesian passenger ship carrying more than 240 people loses contact
- On Sunday, September 13, 2026, the Virgo Transport 8 lost contact in the Java Sea while traveling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin with 243 people aboard, prompting Indonesian authorities to launch a search operation.
- The vessel's operator, PT Virgo Yoel Rihi, reported the loss of contact after the ship encountered bad weather during its journey; the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office received the report at approximately 2 a.m. Sunday.
- Rescuers deployed a helicopter and ships toward the vessel's last known position in the Java Sea, approximately 148 kilometers from a pier in Banjarmasin, to locate the remaining passengers.
- I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office, confirmed that 103 people were evacuated, though one of the rescued passengers died as the search continued for the remaining crew and passengers.
- This incident underscores persistent safety challenges in Indonesia's maritime sector, where inconsistent enforcement across an archipelago of 17,000 islands has contributed to recurring ferry accidents in recent months.
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256 Articles
A ferry with 243 passengers on board arrives in the Java Sea in distress. Rescue forces can help more than 100 people, but for at least one person any help comes too late. The rescuers fight with meter-high waves.
In Indonesia, a ferry with 243 people on board is in distress. At least one person was killed, but dozens of passengers could already be saved.
Drama on the ferry "Virgo Transport 8: In Indonesia, the authorities had lost contact with the ferry with more than 240 passengers. Due to a storm, the ship was in distress. Dozens of passengers were already rescued, a dead man was recovered.
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cedarnews.netIndonesian rescue services are searching for 140 people on board a passenger ship in the Java Sea. That ship, the Virgo Transport 8, went missing yesterday. It has since been located. 103 people have been evacuated and one body has been found, according to the rescue service. The rest are still missing. There were 243 people on board, including the crew. The rescue service is still busy with the rescue operation. Several ships and a helicopte…
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