Indonesia rescuers search for 130 people after ferry sinks

Indonesian rescuers are searching for 130 people after a passenger ship sank in the Java Sea, according to local authorities. The vessel, carrying 243 people, capsized due to adverse weather conditions. Six individuals have been reported dead, while 107 survivors have been brought to safety. As of now, 130 passengers remain missing.

The search efforts have been thorough, with authorities employing every available resource to locate the missing individuals. Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office head, I Putu Sudayana, stated that the Indian Ocean Maritime Agency is coordinating closely with maritime authorities and monitoring weather conditions in the area. The Virgo Transport 8 ferry was en route from Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, to Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan province on Borneo island.

It departed on Saturday morning but lost contact with the crew early Sunday due to the weather. The ship was expected to reach Banjarmasin around 2 p.m. local time on Sunday. The incident prompted the operator to contact authorities, who then deployed ships and a helicopter to the vessel's last known location in the Java Sea. Despite Indonesia's heavy reliance on ferries for transportation across its 17,000 islands, safety enforcement in the maritime sector has been inconsistent, leading to a relatively high number of accidents.