A passenger ship carrying 243 people lost contact in the Java Sea early Sunday while travelling from Indonesia’s East Java province to South Kalimantan, with 102 people rescued, one person dead and a search underway for 140 others.The Virgo Transport 8 was reported missing after encountering bad weather during its journey from Surabaya to Banjarmasin. Indonesian rescuers launched a major search operation after the vessel’s operator alerted authorities.Search continues for missing passengersThe ship departed Surabaya at 10:13am local time on Saturday and was travelling towards Banjarmasin when contact was lost at around 2am on Sunday, according to Indonesia’s search and rescue agency.Rescue teams have so far recovered 102 people from the vessel, while one person has died. Authorities are continuing the search for 140 people who remain unaccounted for.The Search and Rescue Office in Banjarmasin said it received the report about two hours after contact was lost. I Putu Sudayana, who heads the agency, said the operator had informed authorities after receiving information that the ship had encountered bad weather.The vessel’s last known position was about 148 km (92 miles) from a pier in Banjarmasin. Rescue teams were deployed towards the area, with authorities coordinating with maritime agencies and other relevant bodies.Sudayana said authorities were mobilising available personnel and assets given the large number of people aboard, while continuing to monitor weather conditions in the area.Indonesia, an archipelago of about 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferries and passenger ships for transport, particularly because sea travel is often more affordable and accessible than air travel. However, safety standards have not always been rigorously enforced, contributing to a relatively high rate of maritime accidents.
