Indonesian Ferry Carrying 243 People Goes Missing in Java Sea, One Dead and 102 Rescued, Search Operation Continues

An Indonesian passenger ferry carrying 243 people went missing in the Java Sea on Sunday after losing contact amid severe weather, with officials confirming at least one death and 102 survivors rescued so far. Indonesian authorities launched an urgent search operation on Sunday after losing contact with a passenger vessel carrying over 240 people in the Java Sea amid severe weather conditions, as per reported by AFP.

The passenger ship, named the Virgo Transport 8, lost contact at approximately 2 am local time on Sunday while journeying from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province. Officials at the Search and Rescue Office in Banjarmasin confirmed they received an incident report two hours after communications ceased.

Emergency Response and Mobilisation

I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office, stated that the vessel's operator, PT Virgo Yoel Rihi, alerted authorities after learning the ship had encountered treacherous weather at sea.

Rescue teams have been dispatched immediately to the Basirih Search and Rescue pier, while a dedicated rescue vessel steams toward the ship's estimated final coordinates. Authorities are deploying all accessible assets and personnel due to the high volume of passengers on board, maintaining close coordination with regional maritime agencies.

Last Known Coordinates and Voyage Details

Initial telemetry and reports placed the vessel's final recorded position in the Java Sea, roughly 148 kilometres (92 miles) from the Banjarmasin pier.

The ship originally departed from Surabaya—Indonesia's second-largest city—on Saturday at 10.13 am local time. Official manifest records confirm 241 individuals were aboard the vessel. No casualties have been reported thus far as rescue coordinators continue to monitor volatile weather systems across the search sector.