An Indonesian ferry carrying 243 people has gone missing in the Java Sea after losing contact during bad weather, triggering a major search and rescue operation.
The Virgo Transport 8 was travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when contact was lost at around 2am on Sunday.
Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said 103 people had been evacuated, while one person died. Rescuers are still searching for 140 people believed to be missing.
I Putu Sudayana, head of the agency’s Banjarmasin office, said the 103 evacuees were rescued by different ships. Some of them were expected to be taken to a port in East Java.
The Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office said it received a report that the ferry had suffered a communication failure while travelling towards Banjarmasin.
The vessel’s last known position was reported in the Java Sea, around 148 kilometres from a pier in Banjarmasin.
The ship’s manifest listed 241 passengers, while the search and rescue agency said 243 people were on board.
The ferry operator, PT Virgo Yoel Rihi, reported the loss of contact after the vessel departed Surabaya at 10:13am on Saturday. Authorities said the operator later reported that the ferry had encountered bad weather.
Rescue teams were dispatched from the Basirih Search and Rescue pier in Banjarmasin, while a rescue vessel headed towards the ferry’s estimated last known location.
Sudayana said authorities were mobilising all available personnel and resources because of the large number of passengers and crew aboard the ferry. Officials were also coordinating with maritime authorities and monitoring weather conditions in the area.
Indonesia relies heavily on ferries
Indonesia, an archipelago of about 17,000 islands, depends heavily on ferries for transportation. Sea travel is often more affordable and accessible than air travel.
However, the country has experienced a number of ferry accidents, with safety standards not always strictly enforced.
The latest incident comes after several other maritime accidents in Indonesia.
Last month, a ferry caught fire in the Lombok Strait while travelling from Bali to Lombok. One person died, five remained missing and 211 people were rescued.
In July, a ferry carrying more than 70 people sank near Selayar, an island south of Sulawesi.
On Monday, a speedboat carrying eight people, including five journalists covering the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau, also went missing near the volcano in Banten province. A search operation was launched for those on board.
