The passenger ship was carrying 243 people when the incident occurred on Sunday, Sept. 13
Credit: INFUZ / AFP via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- The ferry was carrying 243 people when it overturned in Indonesia’s Java Sea during severe weather
- Over 130 people remain missing, while 107 have been rescued and six bodies have been recovered
- Rescue efforts face challenges from dangerous waves as families await updates at a command center in Banjarmasin
Over 130 people remain missing after a passenger ship overturned in Indonesia’s Java Sea.
The Virgo Transport 8 ship carrying around 243 people was traveling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province when the incident occurred. According to Indonesian authorities, including the Banjarmasin Sea Port Authority, the ship lost contact due to bad weather at around 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, Sept. 13.
A rescue team was dispatched after the Banjarmasin SAR office received a report from the ship’s agent at 4:10 a.m., officials said.
At least 107 people have since been rescued, the Associated Press (AP) and BBC reported. Over 130 others remain missing, while the bodies of six passengers have been recovered from the waters around the vessel’s last known position.
Credit: JUNI KRISWANTO / AFP via Getty
“The ship’s operator reported the incident to authorities after receiving information that the vessel had encountered bad weather,” said I Putu Sudayana, who heads the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office, per AP.
“We responded quickly to the incident report,” Heri Purwanto, head of the Banjarmasin Sea Port Authority, per Indonesian news outlet the Jakarta Post. “Our main focus and top priority at this time is the safety of everyone on board the ship, and we are deploying a coordinated rescue operation.”
According to AP, the Japanese-built ship’s manifest stated 213 passengers and 30 crew members were on board, but it isn’t uncommon for actual numbers to differ.
Weather conditions in the area where the ship overturned are being closely monitored as Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, navy, maritime police and other agencies collaborate on the search for the missing.
Credit: JUNI KRISWANTO / AFP via Getty
Sudayana said rescuers have had to battle up to 8.2-foot waves, per the Jakarta Post.
“It is extremely risky for vessels. Even our Basarnas vessel, which is 40 metres long, is at great risk,” said Sudayana.
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Hundreds of people have gathered at a command center in Banjarmasin’s Trisakti port, awaiting updates on family members who were on board the ship amid the ongoing search, AP reported.
“I was shocked when I saw my uncle’s name on the passenger list,” a woman named Bunga told the outlet. “But I felt relieved after officials told me he had been rescued.”
The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) and the Banjarmasin Sea Port Authority did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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