Indonesia races to find missing ferry from Surabaya carrying over 200 passengers in Java Sea

Jakarta, September 13 - An Indonesian ferry, carrying 243 passengers and crew, has gone missing in the Java Sea while navigating treacherous weather conditions from Java to Borneo. The passenger and cargo ship, Virgo Transport 8, departed Surabaya, East Java, on Saturday and lost contact with its shipping company early Sunday. The loss of contact prompted immediate deployment of rescue personnel by the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office.

Given the significant number of individuals on board, officials are prioritizing swift coordination with relevant bodies to expedite the search and safeguard the lives of all passengers and crew. Search and rescue operations commenced on Sunday morning, involving the navy, police, and the shipping company, Virgo. The vessel's last known position was located in the Java Sea, approximately 150 kilometers (90 miles) from its destination, Banjarmasin pier.

Maritime accidents are commonplace in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of over 17,000 islands that heavily relies on boat transport for daily life and tourism. Factors contributing to these disasters include lax safety standards and unpredictable weather. On Monday, a speedboat carrying eight people, including five journalists from both local and international news outlets, disappeared near Mount Anak Krakatau, a volcano in Banten province.

A search operation is underway for the journalists, who were dispatched to cover the volcanic eruption that disrupted several major airports in Jakarta. In August, a fire on board a ferry resulted in one fatality and five missing persons, with 211 rescued in the Lombok Strait near Bali. The ferry had been en route from Bali to Lombok when it encountered difficulties early on August 12.

In July, another ferry carrying more than 70 people sank off the coast of Selayar, a small island south of Sulawesi.