Indonesia searches for 129 missing after passenger ship capsizes in Java Sea

Hundreds of Indonesian rescuers are battling stormy seas for 129 people still missing after the passenger ferry Virgo Transport 8 capsized in the Java Sea on Sunday, authorities said Monday. Of the 243 people aboard the ship sailing from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin on Borneo, 108 have been rescued and at least six have died. The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) said it had deployed more than 600 personnel and about a dozen ships, but high waves and strong winds were hampering the effort. Officials said underwater rescue teams could not yet dive in the conditions. The capsized vessel lies roughly 80 nautical miles (about 150 km) from the command centre at Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin. Indonesia depends heavily on ferries across its vast archipelago, where sea travel is often cheaper than flying, and maritime accidents remain a recurring hazard. Transport officials said the ship was not overloaded; the cause of the capsizing is still under investigation. Source: Reuters Will another near mass-casualty ferry disaster finally force tougher safety enforcement across Indonesia's sea lanes? https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesia-rescuers-searching-129-people-still-missing-after-passenger-ship-2026-09-14/