Archive · 14 Sep 2026
Six Dead, 129 Missing After Indonesian Ferry Capsizes
A ferry in Indonesia tipped over in rough ocean water.
The ship was carrying 243 people and 89 vehicles.
Six people died, 108 were rescued, and 129 were still missing.
The ferry lost contact around 2 a.m.
while traveling from Surabaya.
Officials said waves were as high as about three metres.
Survivors said the ship tilted suddenly and many people struggled to find life jackets.
Some survivors stayed on the overturned ferry or floated in the water until rescuers arrived.
Search teams used ships, aircraft, helicopters and underwater equipment to look for more people.
The ferry’s exact destination is described differently in the reports as Banjarmasin or Samarinda.
The Virgo Transport 8 ferry capsized in rough Java Sea waters on Sunday.
The manifest listed 243 people aboard: 213 passengers and 30 crew members.
At least six bodies were recovered, 108 people were rescued and 129 remained missing.
Authorities deployed 17 ships and aircraft carrying about 655 personnel, plus underwater search equipment.
Survivors reported panic and no alarms, while officials said the accident’s cause remains undetermined.
- Who
- The Virgo Transport 8 carried 213 passengers and 30 crew members; six people died, 108 were rescued and 129 remained missing.
- What
- The ferry overturned and capsized, prompting a major search-and-rescue operation.
- When
- The ferry lost contact at about 2:00 a.m. Sunday; the search was intensified on Monday.
- Where
- The incident occurred in the Java Sea’s Masalembo waters, about 148 kilometres from Banjarmasin; the reports differ on whether the ferry’s destination was Banjarmasin or Samarinda.
- Why
- The ferry was traveling in rough weather, but authorities had not determined the accident’s cause.
Survivor Accounts
Official Statements
Warnings before the ferry overturned
Survivor Accounts
Survivors said the vessel tilted suddenly, with no alarms or crew announcements warning passengers. They described passengers panicking and scrambling for higher areas and life jackets.
Official Statements
A search-and-rescue official said the captain had issued a distress call reporting that the ship was listing before contact was lost.
Possible cause of the capsizing
Survivor Accounts
One survivor speculated that the ferry’s balance may have been affected by trucks loaded on one side, while another described the rough seas and sudden listing.
Official Statements
Authorities said they had not determined the cause of the accident.
Passenger count
Survivor Accounts
The reports cite the official manifest listing 243 people aboard.
Official Statements
Authorities cautioned that passenger numbers in Indonesia sometimes differ from the manifest, leaving the exact number aboard uncertain.
- Vessel
- Virgo Transport 8, a 119-metre ferry built in Japan in 1987
- People aboard
- 243 listed: 213 passengers and 30 crew members
- Casualties
- At least six bodies recovered
- Rescue status
- 108 people rescued; 129 remained missing
- Conditions
- Rough seas with waves reported at up to 2.5 to 3 metres
- Search effort
- Seventeen ships and aircraft, about 655 personnel, specialised underwater teams and navy-operated underwater thermal drones
- Cargo
- The ferry was also carrying 89 vehicles
