A passenger ship carrying 242 people capsized in Indonesia’s Java Sea, triggering a major rescue operation and raising fears for more than 140 people who remain unaccounted for.
According to reports, the vessel named Virgo Transport 8 was travelling from East Java to South Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. The manifest included both passengers and crew.
While crossing the Java Sea, the ship encountered severe weather with strong winds. Communication equipment reportedly failed, cutting off contact with the control centre, before the vessel overturned in mid-sea.
Indonesia’s coast guard and the national search-and-rescue agency rushed to the area and rescued 102 people, providing first aid. Search efforts for the missing continue using helicopters and advanced patrol boats, as authorities investigate the exact cause of the accident.
