Indonesia rescuers search for 140 people after ferry sinks

Jakarta, Indonesia - One person lost their life and over 100 were rescued after a ferry traveling between Java and Borneo islands encountered severe weather, according to rescue officials. The Virgo Transport 8, carrying 243 passengers and crew, went missing following its departure from Surabaya in East Java on Sunday morning. Search and rescue chief I Putu Sudayana informed reporters that 103 people had been evacuated, with one passenger succumbing to the ordeal.

Rescuers faced waves reaching up to 2.5 meters in height while attempting to reach the vessel. The rescue chief emphasized the extreme danger faced by the vessels, even stating that his own 40-meter Basarnas vessel was at significant risk due to the treacherous conditions. The vessel's captain had reported the ship tilting prior to losing contact.

The last recorded position of the ferry placed it in the Java Sea, approximately 150 kilometers away from its destination. Maritime accidents are a common occurrence in Indonesia, an archipelago comprising over 17,000 islands that heavily relies on boat connections for transportation and tourism. Poor safety standards and unpredictable weather are cited as primary reasons for these disasters.

On Monday, a speedboat carrying eight individuals, including five journalists from local and international news agencies, went missing near Mount Anak Krakatau, a volcano, with a search effort currently underway. The journalists were on assignment to cover the volcanic eruption that disrupted Jakarta's main airport and several other airports.

In the previous month, a fire aboard a ferry claimed one life and left five others missing while 211 were rescued in the Lombok Strait off Bali island. The ferry had been en route from Bali to Lombok when it encountered difficulties in the early hours of August 12. In July, a ferry carrying more than 70 people sank near Selayar, a small island south of Sulawesi.