Indonesia searches for 129 missing after ferry capsizes in Java Sea

Indonesian rescuers are searching the Java Sea for 129 people missing after the passenger ship Virgo Transport 8 capsized on Sunday with 243 people on board. The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) said 108 people had been rescued and at least six had died by Monday.

How many people were on board the Virgo Transport 8?

The ship was carrying 243 people from Surabaya, on the Indonesian island of Java, to Banjarmasin, a port city on Borneo, when it lost contact with its operator in poor weather, according to Basarnas. Indonesia’s transport minister, Dudy Purwagandhi, said on Sunday that the vessel had capacity for 500 passengers and was not overloaded.

How is the search being carried out?

I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin rescue agency, told Reuters: “We have continued the search for the missing since early in the morning [Monday]. We are deploying 622 personnel and around 12 ships.”

What is hampering the rescue?

Mohammad Syafii, head of the national rescue agency, said choppy waters, high waves and strong winds were impeding the search on Monday. “We would also deploy personnel with underwater rescue skills but the current conditions do not allow us to,” he said.

Where did the ship capsize?

Arianto Ardi, another official at the rescue agency, told Reuters the capsized boat is about 80 nautical miles (about 150km) from the command centre at Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin. “The conditions there are quite windy, making it difficult for the vessel to dock,” he said.

Video released by the rescue agency showed a large red-and-black ship lying capsized and partially submerged in choppy water, its red-painted underside above the surface, with two small boats carrying people floating nearby. Edy Prakoso, an official at the national rescue agency, said on Sunday the ship had leaned heavily to one side after strong waves hit its starboard side. Dudy Purwagandhi said a passing helicopter reported the capsizing, and that the cause was still being investigated.

How common are ferry accidents in the region?

Indonesia relies on ferries across its 17,000 islands, where sea travel is cheaper and more accessible than flying, and accidents are frequent. In separate incidents last month, five people died when a ferry caught fire off Madura Island and one person died in a fire on a ferry travelling from Bali. Indonesia’s recent record also includes a ferry capsizing in which six people died and about 130 were reported missing.

In the Philippines, a ferry fire left 35 people dead and 54 missing.

Frequently asked questions

How many people are missing after the Virgo Transport 8 capsized?

Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) reported 129 people missing as of Monday, after 108 people were rescued. At least six people have died.

Why did the Virgo Transport 8 capsize?

The cause is still under investigation. Officials said the ship leaned heavily to one side after strong waves hit its starboard side and that it lost contact with its operator in poor weather, while Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said it was not overloaded.

Where is the search for the missing passengers taking place?

The search is under way in the Java Sea, where the capsized vessel is about 80 nautical miles (about 150km) from the command centre at Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin, on Borneo.

What is slowing the search operation?

Mohammad Syafii, head of the national rescue agency, said choppy waters, high waves and strong winds were impeding the search, and that conditions did not allow the deployment of personnel with underwater rescue skills.

With reporting from Al Jazeera.

Stock image, not from the events described. Map Travel — World Maps / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)