Indonesian authorities detain ferry captain, dozens still missing in Java Sea sinking

This handout picture shows the passenger ship Virgo Transport 8 which capsized in the Java Sea waters September 17, 2026. — AFP pic/Indonesian Navy

First Published: Thursday, 01 Oct 2026 4:01 PM MYT

JAKARTA, Oct 1 — Indonesian police have arrested the captain of a passenger ferry that sank in the Java Sea in September, killing dozens, a spokesman said Thursday.

The skipper was detained as the search for victims was in its third week, national police spokesman Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko told AFP.

He did not provide further information.

The ferry had been transporting 213 passengers and 30 crew when it lost contact after departing from Indonesia’s second largest city Surabaya on Java island, headed for Banjarmasin on Borneo.

Dozens remain officially missing in the search operation that has retrieved 108 survivors to date.

Nearly 80 people have been confirmed dead.

Marine accidents regularly occur in Indonesia, a vast Southeast Asian archipelago of more than 17,000 islands that relies heavily on boat connections for daily transport and tourism.

Lax safety standards and unpredictable weather are often the cause. — AFP