One Dead, 102 Rescued From Indonesian Ferry Missing in Java Sea

AP

Indonesian rescue team looking for victims.

Indonesian rescuers were searching on Sunday for 140 people from a passenger ship that sank in the Java Sea after 103 ⁠others were evacuated, one of whom died, a search and rescue agency official said.

A search and rescue operation was launched after contact was lost with the Virgo Transport 8, which was carrying 243 people when it encountered bad weather, Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said.

The search for the remaining passengers is continuing.

The ferry was travelling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan and was last reported to be about 150 kilometres south of the city at around 2am local time on Sunday.

Search and rescue vessels and a helicopter have been deployed to the area, while other vessels operating in the Java Sea have been alerted and asked to report any signs of passengers.

The incident follows a separate ferry fire off Madura Island last month that killed five people.

With more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia relies heavily on ferries as a common means of transport between its islands.



PUKMEDIA