Indonesia Ferry Disaster Death Toll Rises to 66 as 69 Passengers Remain Missing

Indonesia Ferry Disaster Death Toll Rises to 66 as 69 Passengers Remain Missing
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The death toll from the sinking of the passenger vessel Virgo Transport 8 off Indonesia’s Kalimantan coast has risen to 66, while 69 people remain missing, according to Indonesian authorities.

National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) spokesperson Sudayana said the vessel was carrying 243 people. So far, 174 passengers have been accounted for, including 108 survivors and 66 fatalities, while search teams continue efforts to locate those still missing.

The rescue operation has entered its 16th day, with authorities considering the possibility that some passengers may still be inside the sunken vessel. Divers have been deployed to the wreck site aboard a search and rescue ship as part of ongoing recovery efforts.

Search operations are continuing along the coastline of Central Kalimantan province, including areas around Seruyan, Sukamara, and West Kotawaringin.

The Virgo Transport 8, which was traveling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin, sank in waters off South Kalimantan on the night of September 13. Basarnas has extended the search operation for an additional seven days as efforts continue to find missing passengers.