Indonesia’s search and rescue agency confirmed that six people have died and 97 have been rescued from the passenger ferry Virgo Transport 8, which went missing in the Java Sea on Sunday. The vessel, which was carrying 243 people, lost contact with authorities after encountering bad weather while en route from Surabaya to Banjarmasin.
The distress signal was first received at 04:10 local time from the ship’s operator, PT Virgo. The ferry had departed Surabaya at 10:33 on Saturday and was scheduled to arrive in Banjarmasin at 14:00 on Sunday. The last known position of the vessel was about 150 km (93 mi) south of Banjarmasin around 02:00 local time.
A joint task force comprising Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, navy, maritime police and other agencies has been mobilised. Ships and a helicopter have been deployed to the scene and all vessels in the area have been alerted to report any signs of passengers.
Authorities have set up an operations post in the Trisakti Port area to coordinate the rescue effort. The search for the remaining passengers is ongoing, with officials urging calm as they work to locate the missing crew and passengers.
Families of those aboard the ferry are seeking answers. Rusmilawati, a resident of Banjarmasin, travelled to the port to inquire about eight relatives who were travelling back to the city after visiting Islamic scholars’ tombs in Java. She has yet to receive any information from officials about her relatives’ status.
One relative, Misnah, expressed relief after learning that her husband, freight driver Ahmad Supandi, had survived and was rescued by the vessel MV Haida. Meanwhile, relatives of crew members at Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya have also been seeking updates. Fredy, whose youngest sibling Stevie Manuhua worked as a keyboard player aboard the ferry, said he had not received any news about his sibling’s whereabouts.
The incident follows a separate ferry fire off Madura Island last month that claimed five lives. Indonesia’s archipelago, with more than 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferries for transport, making maritime safety a critical concern.
Rescue operations continue as authorities search for the remaining passengers and work to determine the cause of the tragedy.
