JAKARTA — Indonesian search and rescue teams launched a massive operation in the Java Sea on Sunday for 140 people missing after the passenger ship Virgo Transport 8 lost contact amidst severe weather. The vessel was carrying a total of 243 people when the incident occurred.
Out of the total on board, 103 individuals have been evacuated so far using various responding ships, though officials confirmed that one passenger died during the rescue effort. Some of the rescued survivors are being transported to a port in East Java for medical treatment and care.
The Virgo Transport 8 had set sail on Saturday from Surabaya, East Java, bound for Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan, before losing contact early Sunday morning. In a video statement, I Putu Sudayana, head of the search and rescue agency’s Banjarmasin office, confirmed that specialized rescue teams, search vessels, and a helicopter have been dispatched toward the ship’s last known coordinates.
Sea travel serves as a crucial transit lifeline across Indonesia’s vast archipelago of 17,000 islands, offering an affordable alternative to air travel for millions. However, lax enforcement of maritime safety standards frequently leads to high-risk incidents and tragic maritime accidents across the country’s busy waterways.
