RIMS Adilabad SNCU fire: Death toll rises to five after two more infants succumb

Jakarta reported on Wednesday that the death toll from a capsized passenger ship in Indonesia's Java Sea has risen to 20, following previous reports of 10 fatalities. The Virgo Transport 8 ferry, carrying 243 people including 30 crew members, capsized during a voyage from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan in bad weather on September 13.

Rescuers have recovered eight bodies from the ship over the past three days and found two bodies washed ashore in Central Kalimantan province, around 157 miles away from the accident site. As of Wednesday, the total death toll stood at 20, with 115 people still missing and 108 survivors.

The ongoing underwater search is focusing on finding more bodies inside the ship's cabins, where many passengers are believed to be trapped, according to I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin rescue agency. Despite divers breaking the windows of the cabins on Tuesday, the murky water and strong currents prevented them from entering to retrieve bodies that had already been spotted.

Rescue efforts are concentrated on the ship's hull, as many passengers are trapped inside cabins. If feasible and safe, the search will shift to the vehicles on the ferry, but this could pose risks to the diving team. Search and rescue operations are expected to continue until next Sunday. Authorities are also working on efforts to right the ship, though it remained capsized as of Wednesday.