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Indonesian rescuers were searching on Sunday for 140 people from the passenger vessel Virgo Transport 8 after the ship lost contact in the Java Sea during severe weather. A total of 103 people had been evacuated from the vessel, with one of those rescued later reported dead.
The ship, which was carrying more than 240 people, was reported missing after communications were lost early Sunday while it was sailing from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan.
The Virgo Transport 8 departed Surabaya on Saturday before encountering bad weather in the Java Sea. According to I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin office of Indonesia's search and rescue agency, 103 people had been evacuated by other vessels, with some of those rescued expected to be transported to a port in East Java.
A search operation was launched using rescue vessels, a helicopter and additional personnel, with the team heading toward the passenger ship's last known position. Authorities had not provided further details on the condition or location of the vessel.
The Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office said it received notification approximately two hours after contact with the Virgo Transport 8 was lost at ~2:00 a.m. on Sunday. Sudayana said the vessel's operator had notified authorities after receiving information that the ship had encountered bad weather.
Indonesia, an archipelago of ~17,000 islands, depends heavily on ferries and passenger vessels for domestic transportation. Sea travel is often more accessible and affordable than air services, particularly between islands.
The country has nevertheless experienced a relatively high number of maritime accidents, with concerns frequently raised over the enforcement of vessel safety standards.
