Rescue teams search for 140 people after Indonesian passenger ferry sinks

Rescue teams search for 140 people after Indonesian passenger ferry sinks
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Search and rescue operations are underway in Indonesia after a passenger ferry carrying 243 people sank in the Java Sea, leaving 140 passengers and crew members missing.

The Virgo Transport 8 lost contact with its operator early Sunday while traveling from Surabaya on Java Island to Banjarmasin in Borneo. Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said 103 people were evacuated, with one person confirmed dead.

Rescue teams, including ships and a helicopter, are continuing efforts to locate the missing passengers. Officials said rough weather has complicated the operation, with waves reaching up to 2.5 metres in the area where the vessel was last detected, about 150 kilometres from Banjarmasin.

Local search and rescue chief I Putu Sudayana warned that conditions remained dangerous, saying strong waves posed risks even to rescue vessels operating in the area.

The incident comes amid a series of recent maritime accidents in Indonesia. Last month, a ferry fire between Bali and Lombok killed one person and left five others missing, while another ferry sank near Selayar Island in July, with more than 70 people on board.