The ship sank, searches continue: 129 missing in Indonesia disaster

A maritime disaster in Indonesia: a ship carrying over 240 passengers capsized in rough seas. Six were killed, 108 rescued, and 129 are listed as missing. Search efforts continue with the assistance of 17 ships, aircraft, and about 655 crew members.

A severe maritime disaster in Indonesia: the passenger ship 'Virgo Transport 8' capsized in rough seas while en route from Surabaya to Banjarmasin. On board were over 240 passengers. Six people were killed, 108 rescued, and 129 are still listed as missing. Extensive search efforts are focused on the Java Sea, involving 17 ships, aircraft, and about 655 personnel from the military, police, and other bodies, also assisted by underwater teams and thermal drones. Survivors reported crowded conditions on the ship, and one of them, Ahmad Saudi, estimated that the ferry's balance was compromised after trucks were loaded on one side only. According to him, no alarms or warning announcements were heard before the capsizing. The incident adds to a series of maritime accidents in Indonesia, an archipelago where ferry disasters occur frequently against a backdrop of weak enforcement of safety standards.