UPDATED: Rescuers are now searching the Java Sea after the Virgo Transport 8, carrying 243 people, capsized in severe weather while sailing from Surabaya to Banjarmasin, leaving scores missing, with initial reports of at least 108 survivors.
FULL UPDATE BELOW
Indonesian rescuers launched a search operation on Sunday, September 13, after a passenger ship carrying more than 240 people lost contact in the Java Sea while travelling from East Java to South Kalimantan on the island of Borneo.
The vessel, Virgo Transport 8, was sailing from Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, to Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan, when communications were lost. Initial information from authorities indicated that the ship’s last known position was approximately 148 kilometres from a pier in Banjarmasin. The vessel’s manifest listed 241 passengers, although later reports from Indonesian authorities put the total number of people aboard at 243, including crew members.
There were no immediate official reports of casualties when the initial search operation was announced.
Arianto Ardi, operations chief at Banjarmasin’s rescue agency, confirmed that contact with the ship had been lost and said rescue personnel had been dispatched to the area.
“We have established an operations post at Trisakti,” Arianto said.
Authorities said the ship’s operator reported the incident after receiving information that the vessel had encountered bad weather during its journey. The exact nature of the communication failure, the ship’s condition, and the circumstances surrounding its disappearance remained unclear as the search began.
According to Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, known as Basarnas, the report was received in the early hours of Sunday. A rescue team was subsequently sent to the Basirih Search and Rescue Pier in Banjarmasin, from where personnel continued towards the vessel’s estimated last known position aboard the rescue ship KN SAR Laksmana 241. The journey to the search area was expected to take approximately five hours.
The operation involved coordination between Basarnas, port and maritime authorities, the Indonesian Navy, police marine units, navigation officials, Pelindo Banjarmasin, and representatives of the ship’s operator. Rescue equipment reportedly included water-rescue gear, diving equipment, communications systems, and satellite connectivity. Weather conditions in the search area were being monitored closely.
Indonesia relies heavily on passenger vessels to connect its thousands of islands, making maritime safety and reliable communications especially important. However, the immediate priority remained locating Virgo Transport 8 and establishing the condition of everyone aboard.
The search and rescue operation is ongoing.
This is a developing story and will be updated as further verified information becomes available.
LATEST UPDATE | SUNDAY NIGHT, SEPTEMBER 13
The Virgo Transport 8 has since been confirmed to have capsized in the Java Sea during severe weather, rather than simply disappearing after losing contact. According to the latest reports from Reuters and the Associated Press, the vessel was carrying 243 people, including 213 passengers and 30 crew members, when it encountered rough seas. The captain reportedly warned that the ship was listing before issuing a distress call. Waves were said to have reached approximately three metres, and a passing helicopter later reported that the vessel had overturned.
As of the latest update on Sunday, September 13, rescuers had brought 108 people to safety and recovered six bodies, while 129 people remained missing. Indonesian authorities have deployed naval vessels, search-and-rescue boats, helicopters, and other nearby ships to scour the area around the ferry’s last known position, approximately 148 kilometres from Banjarmasin. Survivors were being transported to safety, while anxious relatives gathered at Trisakti Port awaiting news. The cause of the disaster remains under investigation, and search operations are continuing amid difficult sea conditions.
Sources: CNN Asia, Associated Press, Reuters, Bernama, and Tirto.id.
