Overview
- Early Sunday the passenger ferry Virgo Transport 8 stopped radioing after reporting a list while sailing from Surabaya to Banjarmasin with 243 people aboard.
- Nearby vessels and Basarnas rescuers pulled dozens from the water and authorities say more than 100 people have been taken to safety while at least one rescued passenger has died.
- Reports of how many survivors vary between about 103 and 115, which leaves roughly 128 to 140 people unaccounted for depending on the count used.
- Search teams are operating in rough seas with waves up to about 2.5 metres and the ferry’s last known position was about 150 kilometres off Banjarmasin; the ship itself has not been independently located and a reported capsizing has not been confirmed.
- The incident highlights persistent safety risks for Indonesia’s ferry network because of severe weather, older vessels — the Virgo Transport 8 is reported as a c.1987, 119-metre ship — and uneven safety enforcement, and it may prompt closer checks and policy pressure on maritime oversight.