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MORE than 600 Indonesian rescuers were searching on Sept 14 for 129 people still missing after a passenger ship capsized in the Java Sea, as the death toll remained at six, an official said.
The Virgo Transport 8, carrying 243 people, ran into trouble in bad weather early on Sept 13 while travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan, according to the national rescue agency.
Authorities have rescued 108 people from the vessel, while six others have died.
“We have continued the search for the missing since early in the morning. We are deploying 622 personnel and around 12 ships,” I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin rescue agency, told Reuters.
He said there had been no increase in the death toll as of the morning of Sept 14.
A video released by the rescue agency showed the large red-and-black vessel capsized and partially submerged in choppy blue waters, with its red-painted underside exposed above the surface. Two smaller boats carrying people were seen nearby.
On Sept 13, Edy Prakoso, another official with the national rescue agency, said the ship had tilted heavily to one side after strong waves struck its starboard side.
A passing helicopter spotted the vessel after it capsized, Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said on Sept 13. The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
Indonesia relies heavily on ferries to connect its more than 17,000 islands, with sea travel often cheaper and more accessible than flying. The country has experienced numerous maritime accidents.
In separate incidents in August, two ferries carrying hundreds of passengers caught fire at sea. Five people died when a ferry caught fire off Madura Island, while one person died in a fire on a ferry travelling from the tourist island of Bali. - September 14, 2026
