More than 600 rescue personnel have joined search operations in the Java Sea for 129 people missing after an Indonesian passenger ship capsized during adverse weather conditions, official authorities reported Monday.
The vessel, identified as the Virgo Transport 8, was traveling from Surabaya on the island of Java to the port city of Banjarmasin on Borneo when it lost contact with its operator amid severe weather. According to Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the ship was carrying a total of 243 people when the incident occurred on Sunday.
Search crews have successfully rescued 108 survivors, while at least six individuals have been confirmed dead, according to Basarnas.
Rescuers face difficult environmental conditions at the site, which is located approximately 80 nautical miles (150 kilometers) from the command center at Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin.
“We have continued the search for the missing since early in the morning [Monday]. We are deploying 622 personnel and around 12 ships,” I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin rescue agency, told Reuters.
Mohammad Syafii, head of the national rescue agency, stated that high waves, choppy waters, and strong winds were obstructing search operations on Monday. He added that while personnel with underwater rescue capabilities are prepared for deployment, current sea conditions prevent underwater operations. Arianto Ardi, another rescue agency official, noted that strong winds were making it difficult for rescue vessels to dock near the site, where two small boats carrying people were spotted floating near the capsized ship.
Initial accounts from Basarnas official Edy Prakoso indicate that the ferry leaned heavily to one side after being struck by strong waves on its starboard side on Sunday. Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi reported that a passing helicopter confirmed the vessel had capsized.
Purwagandhi noted that the cause of the capsizing remains under investigation. He added that the ferry had a capacity to carry 500 passengers, indicating the vessel was not overloaded at the time of the voyage.
Sea transport via ferry remains a primary mode of transit across Indonesia’s archipelago of roughly 17,000 islands due to affordability and accessibility compared to air travel, though marine accidents occur frequently in the region’s waters.
Sources
– [Al Jazeera News](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/14/indonesia-intensifies-search-for-129-people-missing-after-ship-capsizes?traffic_source=rss)
Source: Al Jazeera News
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Story synopsis gathered from: Al Jazeera News — source
