Indonesia races to find 129 missing after Java Sea ferry capsizes

At least 108 individuals have been rescued and six bodies recovered following the overturning of a vessel in the Java Sea off Masalembo, roughly 148 kilometers from Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan province. Survivors were taken to a temporary medical facility at Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin. Eyewitnesses reported that passengers rushed to the upper deck and grabbed life jackets as the ferry began to tilt.

The ferry, according to its manifest, was carrying 243 people: 213 passengers, 30 crew members, and 89 vehicles. Among the passengers were 59 adults, one child, and 126 drivers and vehicle assistants, along with 27 workers directly involved in ship operations. The ferry lost contact at around 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, following reports of waves up to 3 meters high and a heavy list to the starboard side.

A passing helicopter later confirmed that the ferry had capsized. Authorities received a distress signal approximately two hours after the vessel went missing. By Monday, over 622 personnel had been dispatched, utilizing 17 vessels and five aircraft, including navy ships and helicopters, to conduct a search in the vicinity of the wreckage.

The national search and rescue agency (Basarnas) announced that divers and navy-operated underwater drones would be utilized to examine both inside and around the overturned hull; however, rough seas and strong currents were impeding the operation. Officials stated that the ferry was not overloaded and was not carrying its maximum capacity of 500 people, although they acknowledged that actual passenger numbers in Indonesia frequently diverge from official manifests.

The 119-meter roll-on/roll-off ferry was constructed in Japan in 1987 and acquired by Indonesia last year. It departed Surabaya in East Java on Saturday afternoon, en route to Banjarmasin, but encountered severe weather conditions overnight. The cause of the capsizing, whether due to weather, technical failure, or human error, is currently under investigation.

Families have gathered at ports in Surabaya and Banjarmasin, anxiously awaiting news about missing relatives.