The passenger ferry Virgo Transport 8, carrying 243 people, capsized in the Java Sea. As of the evening of 13 September, rescue workers reported that 107 people had been rescued and six had died; 130 passengers and crew members are still missing. The vessel encountered bad weather and, before contact was lost, sent a message reporting that it was listing heavily.
Briefly about the main points
- There were 213 passengers and 30 crew members on board the ferry.
- The vessel set sail from Surabaya to Banjarmasin on 12 September.
- The helicopter spotted an overturned ferry on the water’s surface.
- The search operations are being adjusted to take account of the wind and sea currents.
- The official cause of the accident will be determined after the operation.
Contact with the vessel was lost during the night
The Virgo Transport 8 left the port of Surabaya on the island of Java on Saturday, 12 September, and was heading for Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan. During the night, it encountered difficult weather conditions.
Before communication was lost, the crew reported that the vessel was listing heavily due to high waves. The rescue services received the signal indicating the loss of contact early in the morning and dispatched teams to the last known position.
According to the AP, the accident site is located approximately 148 kilometres from the port of Trisakti in Banjarmasin.
The survivors are being taken to the ports of Java and Kalimantan
The number of people found throughout the day was being updated as information came in from the various vessels involved in the rescue operation. Some of the survivors were picked up by ships that were nearby at the time of the accident.
People are being taken to ports on Java and Kalimantan. Information points have been set up onshore for the passengers’ relatives.
Real-time data may change whilst the search operation is ongoing.
The minister clarified that the ferry remained on the surface
At the start of the operation, the Indonesian rescue service reported that the vessel had sunk. Subsequently, the Indonesian Minister of Transport Dudi Purvagandi He clarified: the helicopter crew spotted a ferry on the water’s surface.
According to the minister, the Virgo Transport 8 capsized but did not sink. This may increase the chances of locating people near the hull or those clinging to its structure.
Rescue vessels, the Royal Navy and a helicopter were deployed for the operation
The Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) has dispatched the vessels KN SAR Laksmana 241 and KN SAR Permadi 249 to the scene of the incident. A navy vessel and a helicopter are also taking part in the operation.
Search teams are working in the area around the ferry’s last known position, taking into account the direction of the wind and the currents. Adverse weather conditions may hamper the operation, but the search continues.
The cause of the accident will be determined once the search operations have been completed
The official cause of the accident has not yet been established. Bad weather and high waves are being considered as one of the key factors, but final conclusions will have to be drawn once the investigation is complete.
Investigators will examine the vessel’s technical condition, its cargo, the weather conditions, the crew’s actions and compliance with safety regulations. In July 2025, the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya ferry sank off the coast of Bali: of the 65 people on board, 30 were rescued, at least 18 died, and 17 remained missing after the main search operation.
For the time being, the authorities are focusing on the search for the passengers and crew members of Virgo Transport 8.
