Overview
- The Virgo Transport 8 sent a distress report after the captain said the vessel was listing in heavy seas and lost contact early on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026.
- Rescuers have evacuated roughly 100–107 people and recovered multiple bodies while ships, navy vessels, helicopters and nearby boats focus searches around the overturned ferry.
- Officials say the ship’s manifest listed about 243 people on board (213 passengers and 30 crew), though authorities warn manifest numbers may not match the actual count.
- Aerial and sea reconnaissance showed the ferry floating upside down about 148–150 km from Banjarmasin, and teams are concentrating on that location as they seek survivors and assess whether people remain inside the vessel.
- The incident underscores recurring safety and passenger-accounting problems in Indonesia’s inter-island ferry system and is likely to prompt investigations by transport and maritime authorities.