At least six people have died and 130 remain missing after a ferry traveling between Indonesia’s Java and Borneo islands capsized in severe weather, rescuers said.
The Virgo Transport 8, carrying 243 passengers and crew, lost contact with its shipping company early today after leaving Surabaya in East Java.
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Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency, Basarnas, said in its latest update that six people had died, 130 were still unaccounted for and 107 had been rescued.
The vessel was carrying 213 passengers and 30 crew members, the agency said.
“From the information we received, based on helicopter surveillance… the ship capsized but has not sunk. As of 3pm (local time) it had not sunk yet, but it was capsized,” he said at a news conference in Banjarmasin.
Rescuers battled waves of up to 8.2 feet to reach the ferry
Local search and rescue chief I Putu Sudayana said the captain had told the ship’s owners that the ferry was “tilting” shortly before communications were lost.
Rescue teams faced waves reaching 8.2 feet as they attempted to approach the vessel, Mr Sudayana told reporters.
“It is extremely risky for vessels. Even our Basarnas vessel, which is 40 metres long, is at great risk,” he said.
A Basarnas helicopter was also taking part in the search, he added.
The ferry’s last known position was recorded in the Java Sea, about 93 miles from its destination.
Heri Purwanto, head of the Banjarmasin Sea Port Authority, said the vessel, which was carrying vehicles as well as people, lost contact at 2am this morning.
“We responded quickly to the incident report… Our main focus and top priority at this time is the safety of everyone on board the ship, and we are deploying a coordinated rescue operation,” he said.
‘Very shocked’
Authorities have set up a command centre at Banjarmasin port, where paramedics and ambulances were waiting to assist survivors.
Dozens of relatives and friends gathered there, watching a whiteboard that was being updated with the names of people pulled from the ferry.
Jenah, 26, went to the command post seeking news about her older brother.
“I am saddened and very shocked. Until now, I haven’t received any more information,” said Jenah, who, like many Indonesians, uses only one name.
“He was travelling alone. I hope he survives. I couldn’t contact him since last night.”
Relatives of affected passengers ask for information amid ongoing rescue operations
Ferry accidents are a recurring danger in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where boats are essential for everyday travel and tourism.
Weak safety standards and rapidly changing weather conditions are frequently blamed for such disasters.
On Monday, a speedboat carrying eight people, including five journalists working for local and international news organisations, disappeared near Mount Anak Krakatau in Banten province. The search for them is continuing.
The journalists had been sent to report on the volcano’s eruption, which brought operations at Jakarta’s main airport and several other airports to a standstill.
Last month, a ferry fire in the Lombok Strait, off Indonesia’s Bali island, killed one person and left five others missing, while 211 people were rescued.
The ferry was traveling from Bali to Lombok when it encountered trouble in the early hours of 12 August.
In July, another ferry carrying more than 70 people sank while operating near Selayar, a small island south of Sulawesi.
