The capsizing of the Virgo Transport 8 ferry off Masalembo has resulted in six confirmed deaths and 129 missing persons. One hundred and eight survivors have been rescued since Sunday, while search operations involve more than 600 people.
The roll-on/roll-off ferry Virgo Transport 8 capsized in the Java Sea on Saturday night, about 148 kilometers from Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan province. The captain had reported waves reaching three meters and a severe list to starboard before the ship lost contact around 2:00 a.m. local time. A helicopter later confirmed the vessel had overturned. The distress call did not reach the authorities until two hours later.
According to the official list, 243 people were on board: 213 passengers and 30 crew members, plus 27 workers involved in the ship's operation. The ferry was also carrying 89 vehicles. The passengers included 59 adults, one child, and 126 drivers or vehicle attendants.
In total, 108 survivors were rescued and taken to a temporary medical post at the port of Trisakti, Banjarmasin. Six bodies were recovered. Survivors recounted the panic on board: when the ship began to list heavily, passengers rushed to the upper deck to grab life jackets.
On Monday, the search involved at least 622 people spread across 17 ships and five aircraft, including vessels from the Italian Navy. The Basarnas national search and rescue agency deployed divers and underwater drones to inspect the overturned hull. Rough seas and strong currents are complicating the operations.
Built in Japan in 1987 and measuring 119 meters in length, the ferry had been sold to Indonesia the previous year. It had departed Surabaya, in East Java, on Saturday afternoon bound for Banjarmasin. Officials stated that the vessel was not overloaded, its maximum capacity being fewer than 500 people, while acknowledging that the actual number of passengers on board often differs from the figures reported in Indonesia. The exact causes of the capsizing—whether weather conditions, a technical failure, or human error—remain under investigation. In Surabaya and Banjarmasin, families gathered at the ports awaiting news of their loved ones.
