An Indonesian passenger ship carrying 243 people has sunk in the Java Sea after encountering bad weather on Sunday, leaving six people dead and some 130 passengers and crew missing.
The Virgo Transport 8 was travelling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin when its operator lost contact with the vessel at about 2 a.m. Sunday. The ferry had departed on Saturday at 10:13 a.m. local time and had been due to reach Banjarmasin at about 2 p.m. local time on Sunday.
The ship's manifest recorded 213 passengers and 30 crew members. The Japanese-built vessel was designed to carry passengers and vehicles.
Before contact was lost, the captain reported rough seas with waves up to 3 meters (10 feet) and sent a distress message. The vessel was listed before overturning and sinking.
Authorities began a search and rescue operation after the operator raised the alarm. The rescue agency in Banjarmasin received a report two hours after contact with the ferry was lost.
Ships and a helicopter were sent to the vessel's last known position in the Java Sea, roughly 148 kilometers (92 miles) from a pier in Banjarmasin. I Putu Sudayana heads the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office.
By the time of reporting, 107 people had been brought to safety and six bodies had been recovered. Some 130 people remained unaccounted for.
The ferry had been sailing from Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, to Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan province on Borneo island. The Java Sea is an active shipping corridor between Indonesia's major islands.
The circumstances that caused the vessel to list remain unclear beyond the reported bad weather. The identities of those still missing, the condition of survivors and the current status of the rescue operation were also unknown at the time of reporting.
Comments (0)