{
  "id": 8241089,
  "title": "Salvage mission begins as navy battles to raise capsized Java Sea ferry",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/salvage-mission-begins-as-navy-battles-to-raise-capsized-java-sea",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T12:06:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2026/09/18/salvage-mission-begins-as-navy-battles-to-raise-capsized-java-sea-ferry/235702"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Banjarmasin, Indonesia - Indonesian authorities are set to begin righting a capsized passenger ferry that sank in the Java Sea last week, with dozens of people still unaccounted for, according to a navy official. The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 213 passengers and 30 crew members when it lost contact with its shipping company after departing Surabaya, Java, on Sunday, en route to Banjarmasin on Borneo island. At least six lives have been lost, and 129 remain missing, the national search and rescue agency, Basarnas, reported.\n\nAn expert team has been deployed to assist in the operation to right the vessel, which has now sunk to a depth of 29 meters, some six meters deeper than its initial position, according to Basarnas operation director Yudhi Bramantyo. Navy Commander Galih Nurna Putra confirmed the salvage mission is underway and noted an observation was made yesterday. However, divers face significant risks as they attempt to enter the capsized ship, as conditions are deemed too hazardous at present.\n\nThe head of the Banjarmasin search and rescue agency, I Putu Sudayana, stated that once the ferry is righted, recovery operations for bodies can resume. While acknowledging the emotional toll on victims' families, he stressed the importance of safety for the joint search and rescue team. The capsized ferry has since drifted away from its original position. Marine accidents are unfortunately common in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of over 17,000 islands that heavily depends on maritime transport for daily life and tourism. Lax safety standards and the unpredictable weather patterns of the region are cited as primary contributors to such disasters. On Thursday, search teams officially suspended efforts to find eight people, including five journalists, who were missing after a speedboat disappeared in waters between Java and Sumatra islands nearly two weeks prior.",
  "summary": "BANJARMASIN (Indonesia), Sept 18 — Indonesian authorities were preparing on Friday to right a capsized passenger f...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}