The death toll from a ferry that capsized in the Java Sea two weeks ago has reached 64, following the recovery of further bodies by emergency teams.
According to the National Search and Rescue Agency’s Operation Director Yudhi Bramantyo, the search for a further 71 missing people – all presumed dead – has been extended by seven days.
The vessel, the Virgo Transport 8, was carrying 213 passengers alongside 30 crew members when it lost contact with its operator after departing Surabaya for Borneo island. Only 108 people have been saved.
On Friday, rescue teams retrieved four bodies from inside the submerged ship, while seven more were discovered along nearby shorelines, Bramantyo stated. Officials will evaluate the operation every three days to decide whether to continue. Under Indonesian regulations, search-and-rescue efforts typically last seven days, but can be extended if authorities believe additional victims might still be located.
Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries serve as a widespread mode of transport.
Maritime disasters occur regularly, with weak safety enforcement frequently blamed.
Earlier this week, Indonesia’s Search and Rescue Agency said all available resources had been deployed for the search operation.
“Our primary focus is to locate the missing victims and provide closure to their families,” the agency head, Mohammad Syafii, said on Friday.
The agency is still planning to salvage the ferry and pull the wreckage from a depth of about 30m.
The recovered bodies were taken to the police hospital in Banjarmasin for identification before being handed over to their families.
Indonesia is an archipelago nation of over 17,000 islands where ferries are a common mode of travel.
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