Six dead, 97 rescued from Indonesian ferry that went missing in Java Sea

Six people lost their lives while 97 were rescued from an Indonesian ferry that went missing in the Java Sea, according to Indonesia's search and rescue agency. The Virgo Transport 8 ship, carrying 243 people, lost contact with authorities and encountered bad weather, prompting the launch of a search and rescue operation. The ferry was headed from Surabaya to Banjarmasin city in South Kalimantan.

The distress signal was received at 04:10 from the vessel's operator PT Virgo. The ship departed Surabaya at 10:33 Saturday and was expected to reach Banjarmasin by 14:00 on Sunday. A joint task force, including the search and rescue agency, navy, maritime police, and more, is currently managing the rescue effort. Ships and a helicopter have been deployed to the scene, and all vessels in the area have been alerted about potential survivors.

Rusmilawati, a Banjarmasin resident, sought information about eight relatives who were passengers on the ship, but has not yet received updates on their rescue status. Misnah broke down in tears upon learning that her husband survived. Fredy, whose sibling worked as a keyboard player on the vessel, also has not received any information about his sibling's whereabouts.

This incident follows another ferry fire off Madura island last month, which resulted in five deaths.