At least six dead and 130 missing after Indonesian ferry capsizes, officials say

Rescue workers in Indonesia reported that at least six people have died and 130 others are missing after a ferry capsized on Sunday while sailing between the islands of Java and Borneo. The ferry, named Virgo Transport 8, had departed from Surabaya in East Java on Saturday with 243 individuals onboard, including 30 crew members. The national search and rescue agency, Basarnas, confirmed that 107 people had been rescued from the vessel. The ferry lost contact at 2 a.m. on Sunday and was last located in the Java Sea, approximately 150 kilometers from its destination, Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province. Indonesia's transport minister, Dudy Purwagandhi, stated that the ferry had capsized but had not yet sunk. Rescue operations faced challenges due to waves reaching up to 2.5 meters. A Basarnas helicopter was deployed to assist in the rescue efforts, and evacuees were being transported to various ports in East Java. In Banjarmasin, paramedics and ambulances were prepared as relatives awaited updates on the passengers. The incident highlights ongoing safety concerns in Indonesia's ferry system, which is frequently used due to the country's vast archipelago consisting of over 17,000 islands.


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