Indonesia searches for 129 people missing after ferry capsizes

BANJARMASIN, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities are intensifying their search Monday for the 129 people still missing after a ferry capsized in the Java Sea the previous day. At least six passengers were killed when the Virgo Transport 8, carrying over 240 people, overturned in rough seas.

The ferry was en route from Surabaya, East Java province, to Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan province, on Borneo Island. Contact was lost with the vessel around 2 a.m. on Sunday, and authorities received information that the ferry had overturned in the Java Sea's Masalembo waters, approximately 92 miles from Banjarmasin.

On Monday, 17 ships and aircraft were deployed for the search effort, comprising about 622 personnel from the military, police, and other agencies. Mohammad Syafii, the National Search and Rescue Agency chief, stated that specialized underwater teams and navy-operated underwater drones are being deployed to bolster search efforts and expedite the evacuation of victims.

Authorities remain hopeful of finding additional survivors, as 108 people were rescued and six bodies recovered on Sunday. The ship's manifest indicated a total of 243 people on board — 213 passengers and 30 crew members — though it is not uncommon for passenger counts to vary from the official manifest in Indonesia.

It is not unusual for Indonesia, an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, to experience ferry-related disasters, given the country's reliance on these vessels for transportation. However, the lack of strict enforcement of safety standards contributes to the frequent occurrence of such incidents.