Indonesian Passenger Ship Carrying 243 Goes Missing in Sea

Jakarta: An Indonesian passenger ship carrying 243 people encountered trouble in the Java Sea amid adverse weather conditions. Rescue teams have so far rescued 103 people with the help of other vessels, while one person has died. An intensive search is underway at sea for the remaining 140 people.

The vessel, Virgo Transport 8, departed from Surabaya in East Java for Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan on Saturday. After encountering severe weather during the journey, all contact with the ship was lost around 2 am on Sunday. Its last known location was about 80 nautical miles from the Basirih in Banjarmasin.

Rescue authorities received official information about the incident around two hours after contact with the vessel was lost. Nearby ships were then deployed for the rescue operation.

A total of 103 people were found at sea and transferred to different vessels. Arrangements are also underway to bring some of the rescued passengers to ports in East Java. One of the rescued people later died.

The search area has been expanded to locate the remaining 140 missing passengers. Helicopters and specialised rescue vessels are being used in the operation.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause of the accident. Investigations are underway to determine whether the ship sank or capsized. While adverse weather is being considered the primary suspected cause, there has been no final confirmation yet.