Indonesia intensifies search for 129 people missing after ship capsizes

What the report says

Indonesian authorities have stepped up a search in the Java Sea after the passenger ship Virgo Transport 8 capsized on Sunday, leaving 129 people missing, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting. The vessel was travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when it lost contact during poor weather. Officials said 108 passengers and crew had been rescued and at least six people had died.

Basarnas, Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency, said more than 600 personnel, including the coastguard, were involved in the operation, with around 12 ships deployed. Rescue teams have faced stormy conditions, including choppy waters, strong winds and high waves, which have slowed efforts to reach the wreck and limited the use of underwater rescue specialists.

Officials said the ship capsized about 80 nautical miles from the rescue command centre in Banjarmasin. A rescue agency video showed the vessel partially submerged in rough water, with small boats nearby. The cause of the accident remained under investigation, though one official said strong waves hit the ship on one side before it leaned over and overturned.

The disaster highlights the risks of ferry travel in Indonesia, an archipelago that depends heavily on sea transport between its many islands. Separately, the transport minister said the ship was not overloaded and had capacity for many more passengers, though that does not explain why it capsized.