Indonesian passenger ship overturns, sparking search for about 130 missing

Banjarmasin, Indonesia - Indonesian rescuers are searching for approximately 130 passengers and crew members who are missing following a ferry accident in the Java Sea on Sunday. The vessel, carrying over 240 people, capsized in stormy weather. As of now, at least 107 individuals have been rescued, and the bodies of six passengers have been recovered.

The search operation has been expanded in the waters surrounding the ship's last known location. According to I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office, the ferry was en route from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province when the captain reported rough seas with waves up to 3 meters (10 feet) and issued a distress call, stating that the ship was listing.

Authorities later received a report indicating that the Virgo Transport 8 had overturned and subsequently sunk. The rescue agency in Banjarmasin reported receiving the distress signal two hours after losing contact with the ship at around 2 a.m. Sunday. The ship had departed from Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, on its journey to Banjarmasin, a city on Borneo Island. The ship's operator reported the incident to authorities.