Indonesian authorities launched a search-and-rescue operation early Sunday, September 13, after a passenger ferry carrying 240 people disappeared in the Java Sea, the waterway that separates the islands of Java and Borneo.
The vessel, named Virgo Transport 8, was sailing from Surabaya, a major port city on Java, to Banjarmasin, on the southern coast of Borneo, when it suddenly stopped transmitting its location. According to Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the last signal came in at roughly 1:00 a.m. local time (5:00 p.m. GMT Saturday).
In its final communication, the ship’s crew reported that the ferry was caught in severe weather, raising concerns that rough seas may have played a role in the disappearance. Indonesia’s waters are frequently affected by sudden tropical storms, and ferries remain one of the most common—and sometimes riskiest—ways to travel between the country’s more than 17,000 islands.
Basarnas has not yet released details on the search area, the number of vessels or aircraft deployed, or whether any wreckage or survivors have been located. Authorities say they are working to reestablish contact and determine the fate of everyone on board.
To follow updates on this developing story, read the full report at the source.
Source: Alerta en Indonesia: buscan un ferri con 240 personas que desapareció en el mar de Java (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: In Memoriam: PhillipC, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).