Indonesia rescuers battle turbulent seas in search for 129 people after passenger ship capsizes

A passenger ship carrying 243 people capsized in the Java Sea over the weekend, leaving 129 people missing and at least six confirmed dead, according to Indonesian officials. Rescuers, including the coast guard and navy, have been racing against turbulent seas to locate the missing individuals. The Virgo Transport 8, which was traveling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan, went missing in poor weather early on Sunday.

Choppy waters with high waves and strong winds are impeding the search efforts, which involve at least 622 personnel, 17 ships, five helicopters and aircraft. The rescue agency has deployed personnel with underwater rescue skills, but current conditions do not allow for their deployment. Two small boats, each carrying people, were seen floating near the capsized ship.

The location of the capsized boat is around 80 nautical miles from the command center in Banjarmasin. The weather was very poor when the incident occurred, with waves up to three meters high. The incident is the latest in a string of maritime accidents in the Java Sea, a region often referred to as Indonesia's Bermuda Triangle due to the number of accidents that have occurred there.