A ferry travelling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin was hit by rough weather in the Java Sea on Sunday, leaving one passenger dead and triggering a large-scale rescue operation, authorities said.
The Virgo Transport 8, which was carrying 243 passengers and crew along with vehicles, lost contact with its operator at around 2:00 am local time after its captain reported the vessel was tilting. Its last known position was roughly 150 kilometres from Banjarmasin, its destination port in South Kalimantan on the island of Borneo.
Local search and rescue chief I Putu Sudayana told reporters that 103 people had been evacuated so far, and confirmed that one passenger had died. He said rescuers were battling waves as high as 2.5 metres to reach the stricken ferry, adding that even the agency’s own 40-metre rescue vessel faced serious danger in the conditions. A helicopter belonging to Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency, Basarnas, has since joined the operation.
Heri Purwanto, head of the Banjarmasin Sea Port Authority, said his office responded to the incident report immediately and that the safety of everyone still aboard remained the top priority. A command centre has been set up at the port, with paramedics and ambulances on standby.
