At least 129 individuals are unaccounted for following the capsizing of an Indonesian passenger ship

At least six individuals have lost their lives, and another 129 remain unaccounted for following the capsizing of an Indonesian passenger ship in the Java Sea amid adverse weather conditions early on Sunday, according to the search and rescue agency.

Crews successfully rescued 108 individuals from the Virgo Transport 8 ship and continued their search for any additional survivors, the agency reported.


At a rescue center, passenger Rinto Arahab recounted how he clung to the ship's railings after it capsized, then successfully climbed to a higher point on the troubled vessel as it rolled and pitched in the water.

I felt resigned," he shared with Reuters in the South Kalimantan city of Banjarmasin, the intended destination of the ship before it lost contact with authorities. I could only hope for my safety.

Families of passengers assembled in the city, anxiously awaiting news.
One woman, identifying herself as Putri, mentioned that she had been speaking on the phone with her husband Herman, who was on the boat, before they lost reception.

After that, there was no further contact; we were unable to reach him," she stated.

The ship departed with 243 individuals on board, comprising 30 crew members, from the city of Surabaya in East Java on Saturday, according to the search and rescue agency.

A helicopter in transit reported that the ship had overturned, transport minister Dudy Purwagandhi stated during a press conference. The cause was still under investigation, he added.

The search-and-rescue agency previously stated that the ship had sunk.

Rescued passengers were transferred to other ships, and some would be taken to a port in East Java, according to I Putu Sudayana, the head of the agency's Banjarmasin office, in a video statement.

Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands, depends significantly on ferries for transportation, as sea routes are more economical and accessible compared to air travel.