JAKARTA: Indonesian authorities have intensified a large-scale maritime search operation for 129 people still missing after a passenger vessel capsized in the Java Sea, leaving at least six people dead.
More than 600 rescuers were deployed on Monday to locate survivors from the Virgo Transport 8, which was carrying 243 passengers and crew when it encountered severe weather while travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan.
According to Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, 108 people have so far been rescued. The agency said 622 personnel, supported by around 12 vessels, were taking part in the ongoing operation.
I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin search and rescue office, said teams had resumed operations early Monday and were continuing to search areas around the wreck.
The death toll remained at six as of Monday morning, officials said.
Images released by the rescue authorities showed the large red-and-black vessel lying on its side and partly submerged in rough waters. Several smaller boats could be seen operating close to the overturned ship as rescue teams searched the surrounding area.
The vessel disappeared from contact early Sunday amid poor weather conditions. Officials said the ship was struck by strong waves on its starboard side, causing it to tilt sharply before eventually capsizing.
Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said a passing helicopter later confirmed that the vessel had overturned. Authorities have not yet established the precise cause of the accident, and an investigation is underway.
The incident highlights the risks facing Indonesia’s extensive maritime transport network. The archipelago consists of thousands of islands, and ferries remain an essential means of transportation for millions of people because sea travel is often more affordable and accessible than air travel.
The latest disaster comes after several other ferry accidents in Indonesian waters. Last month, two separate ferries carrying hundreds of passengers caught fire. Five people were killed in a fire off Madura Island, while another passenger died when a ferry travelling from Bali caught fire.
Rescue teams were expected to continue searching the Java Sea for the missing passengers, with authorities focusing on areas around the capsized vessel and nearby waters.
