One dead, 140 missing after Indonesian ship loses contact
- Last updated: September 13, 2026 | 11:10
Relatives of affected passengers look on as a National Search and Rescue Agency officer writes updates on a whiteboard amid ongoing rescue operations. AFP
Indonesian rescuers have found 103 people from a passenger ship that lost contact with authorities in the Java Sea during bad weather, officials said.
The Virgo Transport 8, carrying more than 240 people, departed Surabaya in East Java on Saturday for Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan before communications were lost, Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said.
“At the time of this statement, the ship cannot be contacted and its whereabouts are unknown,” the agency said.
It later said 103 people had been rescued, while 140 remained missing and one had died.
The Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office said the vessel’s last known position was about 148 km from one of the city’s piers.
WAM