Ferry named Virgo Transport 8 carrying about 243 people lost contact early Sunday , Sept 13, 2026 while sailing on the Java sea from Surabaya to Banjarmasin.
A search and rescue operation has been underway.
Bad weather is said to have contributed to this. Shortly before losing contact with the shipping company, captain reported the ship was tilting.
Rescuers have evacuated 103 of total passengers, one reported death and rest of roughly 140 people still unaccounted for .
It is extremely risky for vessels. Even our Basarnas vessel... is at great risk," said local search and rescue chief I Putu Sudayana, describing waves up to 2.5 metres high hampering the operation.
This is Indonesia's latest marine emergency, and at least the third major incident this year after Bali–Lombok fire in August, Sulawesi sinking in July . Indonesia's 17000 plus islands make ferries a common and sometimes risky mode of transport resulting to such accidents.
The rescue operation is still ongoing with boats and a helicopter deployed at the last reported position, about 150 km south of Banjarmasin.
