Death toll from Indonesia ferry sinking jumps to 64

Jakarta, Indonesia - The death toll from the sinking of a ferry in the Java Sea has risen to 64, according to an official on Saturday, as search efforts for the remaining missing passengers continue. The Virgo Transport 8, carrying 213 passengers and 30 crew members, departed from Surabaya on Java island for Banjarmasin on Borneo.

Of the 243 people on board, 172 were rescued, 108 survived, while 64 died and 71 are still unaccounted for. National Search and Rescue Agency official Yudhi Bramantyo confirmed that four bodies were recovered from the submerged ship on Saturday, with seven more found on the shoreline. The search operation will be extended for an additional seven days, with evaluations conducted every three days.

This disaster, like many others, highlights the challenges faced by maritime transportation in Indonesia, a vast archipelago with lax safety standards and unpredictable weather conditions.