One Dead, 102 Rescued from Indonesian Ferry in Java Sea
By Tabby Wilson
Published 13 September 2026, 05:11 BST
Updated 12 minutes ago
One person has died and 102 have been rescued from a stricken Indonesian passenger ferry in the Java Sea, an official said.
A search and rescue operation was launched after contact was lost with the Virgo Transport 8 ship, which was carrying 243 people, as it encountered bad weather. Indonesia’s search and rescue agency reported that the ferry went missing while traveling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin.
The search for the remaining passengers is ongoing. Search and rescue ships and a helicopter have been deployed to the scene, with all other vessels in the area alerted to look out for any signs of passengers.
This incident follows a separate ferry fire in Indonesia last month, which killed five people. With more than 17,000 islands, ferries are a common mode of transportation in the Indonesian archipelago.
Image caption: Indonesian authorities reported the Virgo Transport 8 lost contact in the Java Sea while en route from Surabaya to Banjarmasin.
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