A ferry carrying over 240 people sank in the Java Sea after losing contact, resulting in six confirmed deaths and 130 individuals reported missing.
According to reports from Reuters, AP, and CNN Indonesia, the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Agency received a distress call at 4:10 a.m. local time on September 13 from a representative of the 'Virgo Transport 8' ferry near Banjarmasin.
At the time of the incident, the ferry had 213 passengers and 30 crew members on board, totaling 243 people. Specific details of the distress call have not yet been disclosed. The Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency later confirmed that the ferry had sunk after the distress report.
As a result of the incident, six people have died, while 130 remain missing. Meanwhile, 107 other passengers were rescued by various vessels. Initially, one death was reported, but search teams later discovered five additional bodies during their operations.
A representative from the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Agency stated, "Those who were rescued will be transported to a port in East Java."
The ferry departed from Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city in East Java, at 10:13 a.m. on September 12 and lost contact around 2 a.m. on September 13 after reporting adverse weather conditions.
The last known location of the ferry was approximately 148 kilometers from the Basiri Pier in Banjarmasin, where waves were reported to be between 2 to 2.5 meters high at the time of the accident.
The Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency has deployed 12 vessels, along with the navy, to the area to search for the missing individuals.
A representative from the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Agency noted, "Upon receiving the report of lost contact with the ferry, we immediately dispatched rescue teams to the last known location and are focusing on finding the missing persons."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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