Search underway after Indonesian passenger ship carrying hundreds loses contact

Indonesian rescuers have initiated a search operation after a passenger ship carrying over 240 individuals lost contact in the Java Sea while en route from East Java to South Kalimantan on Borneo island. The Search and Rescue Office in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, received a report two hours after losing contact with the Virgo Transport 8 at around 2 a.m. on Sunday.

The ship had departed from Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city in East Java, on Saturday at 10:13 a.m. local time. The Search and Rescue Office head, I Putu Sudayana, stated that the vessel's operator reported the incident due to bad weather. Initial information placed the ship's last known position approximately 148 kilometers (92 miles) from a pier in Banjarmasin within the Java Sea.

The crew list indicated 241 passengers on board, with no immediate reports of casualties. A rescue team has been dispatched to Banjarmasin's Basirih Search and Rescue pier, and a rescue ship is heading towards the ship's estimated last known position. Authorities are mobilizing all available personnel and assets due to the large number of passengers and crew on board.

They are coordinating with maritime authorities and other relevant agencies while monitoring weather conditions in the area.