At least six people have died and 129 others remain missing after the Virgo Transport 8 passenger ferry capsized in Indonesia’s Java Sea during severe weather.
Gatekeepers News reports that the vessel was carrying 243 people, including 30 crew members, when it lost contact early Sunday while travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan. Rescue authorities have so far recovered 108 people from the stricken vessel.
The ferry encountered rough seas and strong winds before it capsized. Rescue officials said waves of up to three metres were making the operation difficult.
More than 600 rescuers have been deployed, with the operation involving 17 vessels, five helicopters and aircraft. However, the difficult weather conditions have prevented rescue teams from gaining full access to the capsized vessel.
Mohammad Syafii, head of Indonesia’s national rescue agency, said underwater rescue teams would also be deployed once conditions became safer.
“We would also deploy personnel with underwater rescue skills but the current conditions do not allow us to.”
The ferry’s captain had reportedly alerted the operator that the vessel was tilting before communication was lost. A passing helicopter later spotted the vessel capsized in the Java Sea.
One survivor, Rinto Arahab, described the experience as terrifying, saying passengers struggled to survive as the ship overturned.
“I felt resigned. I could only pray for my safety.”
Arahab said many passengers were asleep when the vessel began listing and that people scrambled for life jackets as the situation deteriorated.
Families of passengers have gathered at ports in Banjarmasin and Surabaya while authorities continue the search for those missing.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation, although officials have confirmed that the vessel encountered severe weather before capsizing.
