{
  "id": 7073662,
  "title": "Rescuers searching for 140 people from passenger ship in Java Sea",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/rescuers-searching-for-140-people-from-passenger-ship-in-java-sea",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-13T06:44:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Jakarta Post",
    "slug": "the-jakarta-post",
    "url": "https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/09/13/rescuers-searching-for-140-people-from-passenger-ship-in-java-sea.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A passenger ship carrying 243 individuals was reported missing on Sunday morning, after losing contact due to rough sea conditions in the Java Sea, according to the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas). The Virgo Transport 8 set sail from Surabaya, East Java, on Saturday, bound for Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan. I Putu Sudayana, head of Basarnas' Banjarmasin office, informed that 103 passengers were evacuated using multiple vessels, with some transported to an East Java port. Rescuers initiated a search, utilizing a team, ships, and a helicopter to locate the vessel near its last known position. The conditions were perilous, with waves reaching up to 2.5 meters high, endangering the rescue vessels, including a 40-meter-long Basarnas ship. The captain had reportedly noticed the ship tilting before it lost contact. Heri Purwanto, Banjarmasin Sea Port Authority head, stated that the ship, carrying both people and vehicles, went off the radar at 2:00 am Sunday (6:00 pm Saturday GMT). The priority remains the safety of all onboard, with coordinated rescue efforts underway.",
  "summary": "A passenger ship carrying 243 people lost contact with authorities early on Sunday during bad weather in the Java Sea. The ship, Virgo Transport 8, was travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan.\n\nIndonesian authorities have launched a search for 140 people who were on board, while 103 others have been evacuated and one person has died, according to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.\n\nThe National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) received a report of the incident after communication was lost with the ship, and a rescue team has been dispatched to the vessel's last known position, which was about 148 kilometres from Banjarmasin.",
  "key_points": [
    "Passenger ship Virgo Transport 8 carrying 243 people reported missing in Java Sea.",
    "103 passengers evacuated using multiple vessels and transported to an East Java port.",
    "Rescue efforts underway with perilous sea conditions and waves up to 2.5 meters high."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News AU",
        "title": "Rescuers dispatched as passenger ship goes dark with 240 on board",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/rescuers-dispatched-as-passenger-ship-goes-dark-with-240-on-board",
        "published": "2026-09-13T05:46:46.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Rescuers search for 140 people after Indonesian passenger ship sinks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/rescuers-search-for-140-people-after-indonesian-passenger-ship-sinks",
        "published": "2026-09-13T06:36:40.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Arabian Post",
        "title": "Rescuers scour Java Sea for 140 missing",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/rescuers-scour-java-sea-for-140-missing",
        "published": "2026-09-13T08:20:34.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}