JAKARTA | At least six people have died and 129 remain missing after an Indonesian passenger ship carrying 243 people capsized in the Java Sea on Sunday amid severe weather, with rescuers continuing a large-scale search for survivors.
The Virgo Transport 8, carrying 213 passengers and 30 crew members, was traveling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when it lost contact with its operator during bad weather, according to Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency. By the latest update, 108 people had been rescued.
The vessel’s captain had reported difficult weather conditions before communications were lost, and a passing helicopter later spotted the ship after it capsized, according to Reuters. Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the exact cause of the accident remained under investigation.
Rescue operations were being conducted by Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, Navy, maritime police and other vessels, with crews working in difficult sea conditions. Survivors described clinging to parts of the ship as it overturned, while relatives gathered at a command center in Banjarmasin seeking information about missing family members.
The accident occurred on one of Indonesia’s important inter-island travel routes. As one of the world’s largest archipelagic nations, Indonesia has more than 17,000 islands, and sea transport remains essential for connecting communities that are separated by water. The World Bank says the country has more than 17,500 islands, about 108,000 kilometers of coastline and three-quarters of its territory at sea.
Indonesia has also experienced major ferry disasters in the past, highlighting longstanding concerns over maritime safety. In June 2018, the Sinar Bangun sank in rough weather on Lake Toba in North Sumatra. Investigators said the vessel was severely overloaded and was not seaworthy or properly licensed. Nearly 200 people were initially reported missing, making it one of Indonesia’s deadliest ferry disasters in years.
Later that same month, another ferry sank near Sulawesi, killing at least 29 people and leaving dozens missing. Reuters reported at the time that Indonesia had a history of frequent boat accidents, with overloaded vessels and violations of basic safety rules among recurring concerns.
The latest disaster again puts the safety of Indonesia’s extensive passenger-ferry network under scrutiny, although authorities have not yet determined whether overloading, mechanical problems or other factors contributed to the Virgo Transport 8 capsizing.
For now, rescue teams remain focused on locating the 129 people still missing as families wait for further information from authorities.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
