Overview:
An Indonesian passenger ferry carrying 243 people capsized in the Java Sea during bad weather, leaving at least six people dead and 129 missing. Rescue crews have evacuated more than 100 survivors and are continuing the search as families wait for news of loved ones.
Sept. 13, 2026
In short
(ABC-Australia) At least six people have died, and 108 others have been evacuated from an Indonesian ferry that capsized after encountering bad weather.
The ship, carrying 243 people, had departed from Surabaya in East Java province, and was bound for Banjarmasin.
What’s next?
Local authorities say they are coordinating with all relevant agencies in the search.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-13/search-underway-for-indonesian-passenger-ship/107148298
Share article
At least six people have died and another 129 are missing after an Indonesian passenger ship capsized in the Java Sea during bad weather early yesterday.
According to a search and rescue agency, crews managed to rescue 108 people from the stricken Virgo Transport 8 ship and were still searching for any other survivors.
At a rescue centre, passenger Rinto Arahab said he held onto the ship’s railings after it flipped over, then managed to climb to a higher point on the stricken vessel as it tossed and turned in the water.
“I felt resigned,” he said in the South Kalimantan city of Banjarmasin, where the ship had been heading before it lost contact with authorities.
“I could only pray for my safety.
“People were panicking. Some climbed onto tables, some were pushing each other,” he told AFP from a stretcher.
He said many passengers were asleep when the vessel began listing about 2am local time on Sunday, adding that he heard what sounded like metal breaking about five hours into the journey.
With waves more than 2 metres high, people began shouting and fighting for life jackets as the vessel tilted, Mr Arahab said.
“There was no warning from the ship’s crew,” he said.
“Basically, it was just someone taking the initiative, shouting, ‘Oh, the ship is listing, listing, listing’,” he said.
Families of passengers gathered in the South Kalimantan city of Banjarmasin where the ship had been heading before it lost contact with authorities.
One woman there, who gave her name as Putri, said she had been on the phone to her husband Herman before they lost reception.
“Then after that there was no more contact, we couldn’t reach him,” she said.
The Indonesian passenger ship carrying 243 people was reported missing after losing contact early on Sunday during bad weather.
The Virgo Transport 8 ship had set sail on Saturday from the East Java city of Surabaya to the South Kalimantan city of Banjarmasin.
At a press conference on Sunday, Dudy Purwagandhi, Indonesia’s transport minister, said the ship had flipped and had not sunk, citing observations from the crew of a helicopter, adding that the incident’s cause awaits further investigation.
The search-and-rescue agency earlier said the ship had sunk.
The Search and Rescue Office in the city of Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan, located on Borneo island, said it received a report two hours after communication was lost with the Virgo Transport 8 at about 2am on Sunday.
It is understood the vessel’s operator reported the loss of contact and confirmed the ship departed Surabaya on Saturday at 10:13am local time.
Putu Sudayana, who heads the Search and Rescue Office, said authorities were mobilising all available personnel and coordinating with maritime authorities and other relevant agencies in the search.
Initial information indicated the vessel’s last known position was in the Java Sea, about 148 kilometres from Banjarmasin.
In response, a rescue team was dispatched to Banjarmasin and a rescue ship and helicopter was sent to the Virgo Transport 8’s estimated last known position.
He said rescuers battled waves of up to 2.5 metres to reach the ferry.
Mr Sudayana said in a video statement that 103 people had been evacuated using different ships and some of them would be taken to an East Java port.
The 119-metre Virgo Transport 8 ferry was built in Japan in 1987 and operated there until last year before being sold to the current Indonesian operator, PT Virgo Karya Shipping.
Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferries as a key mode of transportation, with sea routes more affordable and readily available than air travel.
However, safety standards are not always rigorously enforced, resulting in a relatively high accident rate.
AP/Reuters/AFP