Six Dead, 130 Missing After Indonesian Ferry Capsizes in Java Sea

At least six people have died and 107 have been rescued after an Indonesian passenger ferry carrying 243 people capsized in the Java Sea, authorities have said.

The search for 130 missing passengers and crew members is continuing as Indonesian authorities deploy ships, a helicopter and hundreds of personnel in a major rescue operation.

The Virgo Transport 8 was travelling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when it encountered bad weather and lost contact with authorities.

The vessel was last reported about 150 kilometres (93 miles) south of Banjarmasin at around 02:00 local time on Sunday.

Authorities received the initial distress alert at about 04:10 from the ship’s operator, PT Virgo.

According to maritime monitoring data, the ferry departed Surabaya at 10:33 on Saturday and was scheduled to arrive in Banjarmasin at 14:00 on Sunday.

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Rescue Operation Underway

A joint task force involving Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, navy, maritime police and other agencies has been mobilised to search for survivors.

Ships and a helicopter have been deployed to the area, with approximately 280 personnel participating in the operation.

Authorities have also alerted vessels operating in the Java Sea to report any signs of passengers who may have survived the disaster.

An operations centre was established at the Trisakti Port area on Sunday morning to coordinate the rescue effort.

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the incident would be investigated by Indonesia’s National Transport Safety Committee.

The 119-metre (390-foot) vessel was carrying 213 passengers and 30 crew members when it capsized.

Families Await News

The disaster has left families anxiously waiting for information about their loved ones.

Rusmilawati, a resident of Banjarmasin, travelled to the port seeking information about eight relatives who were aboard the ferry.

She said the relatives had travelled to Java to visit the tombs of several Islamic scholars and had chosen to return by ship after flying there.

The family last received contact from one of the relatives through a WhatsApp status update.

“The waves are really frightening tonight. Or is this just what it’s normally like travelling by ship, rocking and crashing against the waves?”

Rusmilawati said she had not received confirmation about whether her relatives had been rescued.

Another family, however, received some relief after learning that freight driver Ahmad Supandi had survived. He was rescued by the vessel MV Haida.

At Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya, relatives of crew members have also been gathering for information.

Fredy said his younger brother, Stevie Manuhua, worked aboard the ferry as a keyboard player entertaining passengers.

He said the family last spoke to Stevie when the vessel was docked in Surabaya but had received no information about his whereabouts since.

Ferry Accidents Common in Indonesia

Indonesia’s geography makes ferries an important means of transportation. The archipelago consists of more than 17,000 islands, making maritime travel essential for millions of people.

However, marine accidents remain a recurring concern.

Government data indicate that 111 ship accidents were recorded between 2020 and 2026.

In July, the KM Nurul Salsa sank off Polassi Island in the Selayar Islands of South Sulawesi. Fifty-eight people survived, three died and another 14 remained missing.

Last month, another ferry caught fire off Madura Island, killing five people.

The latest disaster has renewed concerns about maritime safety as rescue teams continue searching the Java Sea for the 130 people still missing.