Indonesian rescue crews searching for 140 people after ferry hit bad weather
More than 100 others on board were evacuated from the Virgo Transport 8 ship, including one who died Indonesian rescuers were searching on Sunday for 140 people from a passenger ship that was earlier reported missing in the Java Sea after 103 others were evacuated, one of whom died, a search and rescue agency official said. A passenger ship carrying more than 240 people was reported missing after…
Indonesian rescue crews are currently searching for 140 people after a passenger ship, the Virgo Transport 8, encountered severe weather conditions in the Java Sea. Three days ago, 103 individuals were safely evacuated from the vessel using various ships, with one person tragically losing their life during this evacuation process. The remaining 140 people remain unaccounted for, according to a search and rescue agency official.
The Virgo Transport 8 set sail from Surabaya, a city in East Java, on Saturday with the intention of reaching Banjarmasin, a city in South Kalimantan. However, communication with the ship was lost early Sunday morning. I Putu Sudayana, the head of the Banjarmasin office of the Indonesian search and rescue agency, announced this during a video statement on Sunday.
In response to the lost contact, a search and rescue operation was promptly initiated, involving a team of rescuers, multiple ships, and a helicopter. The search teams were directed towards the last known position of the Virgo Transport 8. However, the specifics regarding the fate of the ship and its remaining passengers have not been disclosed by the official.
According to Sudayana, the evacuation of the 103 people was facilitated by various ships, and some of them would be transported to an East Java port. The incident occurred shortly after 2am on Sunday, when the Banjarmasin search and rescue office received a report from the ship's operator. The operator informed authorities that the vessel had encountered severe weather conditions, prompting the evacuation process.
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