Indonesia intensifies search for 129 people missing after ship capsizes

Indonesian rescue authorities intensified operations after the passenger ferry Virgo Transport 8 capsized in the Java Sea on Sunday. The national search-and-rescue agency, Basarnas, said rescue crews have pulled 108 people from the water and confirmed at least six deaths, while 129 passengers remain unaccounted for. Officials said the agency and local teams have deployed dozens of vessels and hundreds of personnel to the scene. I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin rescue office, reported that 622 personnel and about 12 ships were assigned to the search, but crews have been hampered by high waves and strong winds. Rescue leaders added that rough conditions have prevented the use of underwater teams. Mohammad Syafii, head of the national rescue agency, said the weather and sea state are making some search methods unsafe or impractical. The capsized vessel lies roughly 80 nautical miles (about 150 km) from the command center at Trisakti Port, complicating efforts to reach and recover people from the site. Basarnas and transport officials described the ship as carrying 243 people from Surabaya on Java to Banjarmasin on Borneo when it lost contact amid poor weather. Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the ferry’s certified capacity was about 500 passengers, and authorities were investigating the cause of the capsize. Video released by the rescue agency showed a large red-and-black hull partly submerged with two small boats floating nearby. The incident comes amid a spate of recent ferry accidents in Indonesia, including deadly fires last month off Madura Island and on a route from Bali.