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Ferry overturning kills six in Java Sea
A passenger ferry overturned in rough weather, leaving survivors rescued and a large search under way.
What happened
Indonesia’s Virgo Transport 8 lost contact during bad weather while sailing from Surabaya to Banjarmasin. Rescuers later received information that it had overturned in the Java Sea. At least 108 people were rescued, six bodies were recovered and about 129 people remained missing as teams searched its last known position.
Numbers
- 243 peoplelisted on the vessel manifest — Passengers and crew combined
- 6 deathsbodies recovered by rescuers — Latest reported toll
- 129 missingpeople still unaccounted for — Other accounts gave 130
- 3 metreswaves reported before distress call — About 10 feet
Questions
- What did authorities find?
- Officials received information that the vessel had overturned, while the transport minister stated it had flipped rather than sunk.
- Why were rescuers deployed offshore?
- The captain issued a distress call after reporting rough seas and a listing vessel, prompting a response toward its last known position.
- What resources joined the search?
- By Sunday afternoon, teams had support from a dozen vessels, including four navy ships, and two helicopters searching offshore.
- Why do ferry incidents matter?
- Indonesia’s islands rely heavily on ferries, which are generally more affordable and available than air travel.
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The catch
Accounts differed on evacuation totals and whether the vessel overturned or sank; the cause remains under investigation.
Rescue figures may change.