A passenger ship carrying 243 people disappeared off the coast of Indonesia. Authorities reported it “missing” after contact was lost with the vessel on Sunday as it traveled through stormy weather from the city of Surabaya in eastern Java to Banjarmasin on the island of Borneo. Following the reports, rescue teams evacuated 103 people from the vessel, one of whom died, and are continuing to search for the remaining 140 passengers.
(Photo: INFUZ / AFP)
(Photo: INFUZ / AFP)
Family members of passengers aboard the ship were seen receiving updates in front of a whiteboard detailing the ongoing rescue operation. The Virgo Transport 8 departed Surabaya on Saturday. Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said 103 passengers had been rescued by various vessels.
Rescue teams launched a search operation, dispatching personnel, ships and a helicopter to the passenger vessel’s last known location. The agency did not say what had happened to the ship.
Indonesia is an archipelagic nation comprising 17,508 islands and relies heavily on ferries as a major means of transportation, with sea routes cheaper and more accessible than air travel. However, safety standards are not always strictly enforced, resulting in a relatively high rate of accidents in the country.