Rescuers searching for 140 people after Indonesia passenger ship sinks in Java Sea, agency says

Rescuers in Indonesia are currently searching for 140 individuals from a passenger ship that tragically sank in the Java Sea on Sunday. According to a search and rescue agency official, 103 people were evacuated from the vessel, but one of them lost their life during the evacuation process.

The passenger ship, Virgo Transport 8, was reportedly missing after losing contact with the outside world on early Sunday morning due to adverse weather conditions. The ship had embarked on its journey on Saturday from Surabaya, a city in East Java, heading towards Banjarmasin, a city in South Kalimantan.

The search and rescue agency confirmed the sinking of the ship later on Sunday, but did not provide any additional information regarding the incident. I Putu Sudayana, the head of the agency's Banjarmasin office, announced the evacuation of 103 passengers via various ships, and some of them will be taken to an East Java port.

Rescue operations commenced, involving a team, several ships, and a helicopter, all converging toward the last known location of the passenger vessel. Indonesia, an archipelago comprising 17,000 islands, heavily relies on ferries as a primary mode of transportation, as they are often more affordable and accessible than air travel. However, safety regulations are not consistently upheld, leading to a relatively high rate of maritime accidents.

Recently, an Indonesian ferry caught fire at sea, resulting in the death of five people and leaving another 41 missing when some passengers jumped into the water to escape the flames.