Search underway for 130 people missing after Indonesian passenger ship overturns - as six confirmed dead
107 passengers were evacuated, with six confirmed dead
A search is underway for around 130 people after a passenger ship 'flipped over' in the Java Sea, with 107 passengers evacuated and six confirmed dead.
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An Indonesian passenger ship carrying 243 people was initially reported missing after losing contact early on Sunday during bad weather, the search and rescue agency said.
The Virgo Transport 8 ship had set sail on Saturday from the East Java city of Surabaya to the South Kalimantan city of Banjarmasin.
Dudy Purwagandhi, Indonesia's transport minister, said on Sunday 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 had earlier said the ship had sunk.
I Putu Sudayana, the head of the agency's Banjarmasin office, 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.
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A further four people were later brought to safety.
Rescuers launched a search, deploying a team, ships and a helicopter toward the passenger vessel's last known position, he said.
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.
WhatsApp messages from a woman who remains missing after being on board the ferry prior to the crash read: The waves are really frightening tonight.
"Or is this just what it's normally like travelling by ship, rocking and crashing against the waves?"
However, safety standards are not always rigorously enforced, resulting in a relatively high accident rate.
111 ship accidents were recorded in government data records between 2020 and 2026.
A joint task force of approximately 280 personnel made up of Indonesia' navy, maritime police, search and rescue agency, and other authorities was put together for Sunday's rescue efforts.
Ships and a helicopter have been sent to the site, and all vessels in the Java Sea area have been alerted to report any passenger sightings.
Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the incident will be investigated by Indonesia's National Transport Safety Committee.