At least six people have died and about 130 others remain missing after a passenger ferry in Indonesia capsized in severe weather in the Java Sea.
The vessel, the Virgo Transport 8, was carrying 243 people from Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, to Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan province.
According to ABC News, at least 108 people have been safely evacuated.
Rescuers in Indonesia said at least six people were killed and 129 others were missing after a ferry capsized in rough seas, with one survivor recounting scenes of panic as passengers scrambled for life jackets.https://t.co/Oy1LOzt9ST pic.twitter.com/XJXXtGevrV
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) September 13, 2026
ABC News shared further:
Officials with the Directorate General of Sea Transportation said in a statement that they were still working to determine the cause of the incident and whether it had been due to “natural factors, technical factors or human factors.”
Ships and a helicopter have been deployed to search for survivors, officials said.
ADVERTISEMENTA video released by BASARNAS showed what appeared to be survivors in orange life-rafts being rescued from the sea. Another video showed those others who had been rescued on board another ship receiving first aid.
“We cannot yet determine whether the victims are still inside the vessel or whether they may be some distance away from the location of the vessel,” said Dudy Purwagandhi, Indonesia’s transport minister, according to the outlet.
🔴 Ferry carrying 243 people goes missing in bad weather in Indonesiahttps://t.co/zcJfZqBx10
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) September 13, 2026
Newsweek has more:
Emergency crews pulled survivors from the water and transported them to nearby locations for medical assessment and assistance.
Search and rescue officials said operations remained focused on locating anyone still unaccounted for, with vessels and personnel deployed across the area where the ferry capsized.
Authorities acknowledged uncertainty surrounding the final passenger count, a recurring challenge in some maritime emergencies.
Differences between manifests and actual passenger numbers can complicate rescue efforts and make it more difficult for officials to determine how many people remain missing.
The Virgo Transport 8 incident follows three other significant ferry emergencies in Indonesia in recent months.
In July, a ferry carrying more than 70 people sank near Selayar, south of Sulawesi.
On August 2, the ferry Mutiara Sentosa 2 caught fire off Madura, killing at least five people. Initial reports said 225 people were rescued while 41 others were missing.
ADVERTISEMENTA second ferry fire occurred on August 12 in the Lombok Strait near Bali. Authorities reported one death, five people missing and 211 rescues.
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