Overview
- A passenger ferry, Virgo Transport 8, capsized in the Java Sea while on the Surabaya–Banjarmasin route with 243 people on board.
- Rescue teams have pulled 108 people from the water so far and have confirmed at least six deaths while about 130 people remain unaccounted for.
- Search-and-rescue operations are led by Basarnas with the Navy, maritime police and local authorities operating from a command center in Banjarmasin.
- The captain sent a final distress call reporting the vessel was dangerously listing in roughly 2.5-meter waves before communications were cut and the ferry's last known position was about 150 km from Banjarmasin.
- The incident highlights recurring safety gaps in Indonesia's inter-island ferry system and raises immediate concerns for survivors, families and how authorities enforce weather and vessel safety rules.