Indonesia ferry sinks in Java Sea, 130 people remain missing

Indonesian rescuers are searching for 130 people after a passenger ship carrying 243 people sank in the Java Sea following bad weather, while 113 people have been evacuated and six have died, the country’s search and rescue agency said on Sunday.

The Virgo Transport 8 set sail on Saturday from the East Java city of Surabaya to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan before losing contact with authorities early on Sunday during bad weather.

The vessel was carrying 243 people, including 30 crew members, according to the search and rescue agency.

Later on Sunday, the agency said six people had died after rescuers found 107 people safe, while 130 others remained missing.

I Putu Sudayana, Head of the agency’s Banjarmasin office, said evacuees had been transported using different vessels, with some expected to be taken to a port in East Java.

Rescuers have deployed teams, ships and a helicopter to search the area around the vessel’s last known position.

The agency had earlier confirmed that the ship had sunk but did not immediately provide further details on the circumstances.

Indonesia, an archipelago of around 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferries for transportation, with sea routes often more affordable and accessible than air travel.

However, safety standards are not always rigorously enforced, contributing to a relatively high rate of maritime accidents in the country.

Read more from the region:

• Philippines ferry fire death toll rises to 76 as 13 remain missing
• Indonesia quake kills 54 as search continues on Independence Day
• Powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake kills at least 47 in Indonesia

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