Rescuers searching for 140 people from Indonesia passenger ship, official says
- 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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A search and rescue operation was launched on Sunday, and 102 people have already been successfully rescued.
Indonesia searches for a ship with 241 passengers that went missing at sea - CNN The Virgo Transport 8 ship lost contact in the Java Sea while on a flight to <p>South Kalimantan. No casualties were reported.</p>
A ferry carrying 243 people went missing in the Java Sea on Sunday. It is understood the vessel encountered bad weather conditions at sea and then lost contact with it. According to the latest reports, the missing ferry was eventually found and 102 passengers were rescued, while one person died.
Sydney Morning Herald
Rescuers searching for 140 people from Indonesian passenger ship
Indonesian authorities are searching for 140 passengers lost from a ship in the Java Sea overnight, while 103 others were evacuated and one has died.
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