Overview
- Officials say 172 people were evacuated from the Virgo Transport 8, 108 survived, 64 have been confirmed dead and 71 remain missing and are the focus of ongoing searches.
- Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency extended the operation by seven days and will reassess progress every three days as teams continue underwater recovery.
- Rescue crews have recovered bodies from inside the submerged ferry and along shorelines after divers breached windows to reach trapped victims.
- Authorities are planning a salvage of the ferry from about 30 metres depth to recover more bodies and preserve material evidence for a formal investigation.
- The disaster has renewed scrutiny of Indonesia’s ferry safety, including vessel loading and enforcement gaps, and families are awaiting identification and closure as investigators proceed.