INDONESIA. – At least six people have died and around 129 are missing after the ferry, Virgo Transport 8, capsized in the Java Sea on Sunday.
The ferry was travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when the incident occurred. According to the ship's manifest, 243 people were on board, comprising 213 passengers and 30 crew members. The ferry was also carrying 89 vehicles. Basarnas, Indonesia's national search and rescue agency, confirmed that at least six people have died. The latest available figures indicate that around 108 people have been rescued, while approximately 129 remain missing, as the search and rescue operation continues.
According to rescue authorities, the ferry lost contact at around 02:00 local time after encountering difficult weather conditions. A helicopter and several rescue vessels were deployed to search for the missing people. Indonesia's transport ministry has meanwhile set up an emergency centre at Trisakti port in Banjarmasin to coordinate the rescue operation and provide information to families. The cause of the accident is still being investigated.
Sources: AP News, ANTARA News, The Standard, BBC
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
