Indonesia searches for 140 missing after passenger ship loses contact
BANJARMASIN, Indonesia — 13 September 2026, Indonesian search and rescue teams were searching on Sunday for 140 people from a passenger ship that lost contact in the Java Sea, after 103 others were evacuated, one of whom later died. The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 passengers and crew when contact was lost on Sunday […] The post Indonesia searches for 140 missing after passenger ship loses…
BANJARMASIN, Indonesia — 13 September 2026, Indonesian search and rescue teams are currently on a mission to find 140 people aboard a passenger ship that has lost contact in the Java Sea. The Virgo Transport 8, carrying 243 passengers and crew when communication was lost on Sunday morning, was en route from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan. The ship encountered bad weather conditions and authorities have yet to determine the cause of its loss of contact.
Indonesian authorities evacuated 103 people from the Virgo Transport 8 using several other vessels. One of the survivors later succumbed to their injuries. The evacuated passengers were being taken to a port in East Java. The Virgo Transport 8 departed Surabaya on Saturday, 12 September, heading towards Banjarmasin.
Indonesia, being an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, heavily relies on ferries and passenger ships for travel between islands. This mode of transportation is often more cost-effective and accessible than air travel. However, maritime accidents are relatively frequent due to varying safety standards that are not always rigorously enforced.
Written by urgent.news from Khaosod English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
