Indonesia launches search for 140 after ship carrying over 240 loses contact

The Virgo Transport 8 was travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin (Representative image)

A passenger ship carrying 241 people has gone missing in the Java Sea after losing contact early Sunday while travelling from Indonesia’s East Java province to South Kalimantan, officials said.The Virgo Transport 8 was reported missing after its operator informed authorities that the vessel had encountered bad weather. The ship’s last known position was about 148 km (92 miles) from a pier in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.Search launched after contact lostThe vessel departed Surabaya at 10:13am local time on Saturday and was travelling towards Banjarmasin when contact was lost at around 2am on Sunday, according to Indonesia’s search and rescue agency.The Search and Rescue Office in Banjarmasin said it received the report about two hours after contact was lost. I Putu Sudayana, who heads the agency, said the operator had informed authorities after receiving information that the ship had encountered bad weather.“At the time of this statement, the ship cannot be contacted and its whereabouts are unknown,” the agency said.A rescue team was deployed from Banjarmasin’s Basirih Search and Rescue pier, while authorities coordinated with maritime agencies and other relevant bodies to locate the vessel.

Sudayana said authorities were mobilising available personnel and assets given the large number of people aboard, while continuing to monitor weather conditions in the area.Indonesia, an archipelago of about 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferries and passenger ships for transport, particularly because sea travel is often more affordable and accessible than air travel. However, safety standards have not always been rigorously enforced, contributing to a relatively high rate of maritime accidents.