At least one person has died and more than 100 others have been rescued after an Indonesian passenger ship lost contact while sailing through the Java Sea on Sunday, according to Indonesian authorities and local media reports.
The Virgo Transport 8 was travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when communications with the vessel were lost after it encountered bad weather.
Indonesia’s Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office said it was informed of the incident early Sunday, with the vessel’s last reported position about 80 nautical miles, or roughly 148 kilometres, from the SAR pier in Banjarmasin.
Initial reports said 243 people were aboard the vessel. Search and rescue officials later said 103 people had been evacuated using several ships, with one of those rescued reported dead. Authorities said 140 people remained unaccounted for at that stage.
However, a subsequent Indonesian report citing port officials said the number evacuated had risen to 115, with one person dead and another injured. It said 125 people remained the subject of search operations, based on a total of 240 people aboard.
The differing figures were still being reconciled as rescue teams continued to verify passenger information.
Search teams deployed vessels and personnel towards the ship’s last known position, while a helicopter was also mobilised as part of the operation.
The Virgo Transport 8 had departed Surabaya on Saturday morning before running into adverse weather on its journey towards Banjarmasin. Search and rescue operations were continuing on Sunday. (Newswire)