Families wait for news as 140 remain missing from Indonesian ferry
A major search operation is underway in Indonesia after at least six people died and around 140 remained missing when passenger ship Virgo Transport 8 capsized in rough weather in the Java Sea on Sunday.
Footage showed relatives and friends gathering at Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin, checking their phones and waiting for news as rescuers searched for the missing.
Banjarmasin search and rescue chief I Putu Sudayana said nearby commercial vessels helped rescue 103 people from the water.
“As of noon, some of the passengers have been successfully evacuated by vessels operating in the area,” Sudayana said.
The ship left Surabaya on Saturday with more than 240 people aboard and lost contact early Sunday after its captain reported that it was listing amid bad weather and high waves. It later capsized about 148 kilometres from Trisakti Port.
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Indonesia's search and rescue agency deployed vessels and a helicopter, while the navy sent the KRI Nala to assist. Commercial ships operating nearby also joined the rescue effort.
At Trisakti Port, relatives said they had received little information about those still missing, with some relying on social media posts for confirmation that loved ones had boarded the vessel.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
