One person has died while 102 others were rescued after a ferry carrying 243 passengers and crew encountered trouble in the Java Sea off Indonesia.
The Virgo Transport 8 was travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when it lost contact with its shipping company at about 2am on Sunday.
Local search and rescue chief, I Putu Sudayana, said 103 people had been evacuated, including the passenger who later died.
Rescuers faced waves reaching 2.5 metres as they worked to reach the stricken vessel.
“It is extremely risky for vessels. Even our Basarnas vessel, which is 40 metres long, is at great risk,” Sudayana told reporters.
A Basarnas helicopter has also joined the rescue operation.
Ferry Reportedly Tilting Before Contact Was Lost
Sudayana earlier said the ship’s captain had reported that the ferry was “tilting” before communication was lost.
The vessel’s last known position was in the Java Sea, about 150 kilometres from Banjarmasin, its destination.
Heri Purwanto, head of the Banjarmasin Sea Port Authority, said the ferry was carrying both people and vehicles.
“We responded quickly to the incident report… Our main focus and top priority at this time is the safety of everyone on board the ship, and we are deploying a coordinated rescue operation,” Purwanto said.
Authorities have established a command centre at Banjarmasin port, with paramedics and ambulances on standby.
Relatives of passengers gathered at the port as officials updated the names of those rescued.
One relative, 26-year-old Jenah, said she was waiting for information about her older brother, who had been travelling alone.
“I am saddened and very shocked. Until now, I haven’t received any more information,” she said.
Indonesia Records Frequent Marine Accidents
Marine accidents are relatively common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands that relies heavily on boats for transport and tourism.
The country has experienced several recent ferry and boat incidents.
Last month, a ferry fire in the Lombok Strait killed one person and left five others missing, while 211 people were rescued.
In July, another ferry carrying more than 70 people sank near Selayar, an island south of Sulawesi.
