One dead, 86 rescued as Indonesian ship with 243 missing in Java Sea
12:03, 13/09/2026, Sunday
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Indonesian rescue teams recovered one body and pulled 86 survivors from the Java Sea on Sunday after the Virgo Transport 8 disappeared with 243 people on board, as authorities continue searching for the remaining passengers amid reports of severe weather.
The Virgo Transport 8 passenger ship carrying 243 people went missing in the Java Sea early Sunday, with Indonesian authorities confirming one fatality and the rescue of 86 survivors while the search continues for the remaining passengers, according to local broadcaster Kompas.
Rescue efforts
I Putu Sudayana, who heads the Class A Search and Rescue Office in Banjarmasin, said his agency received the distress call approximately two hours after the vessel lost contact and immediately dispatched a joint rescue team to the area. "The latest information received indicates that the ship is facing bad weather in the waters of the Java Sea, approximately 80 nautical miles from the Basirih SAR Dock, Banjarmasin," Sudayana said in a statement.
Voyage details
The vessel was traveling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when communication was cut at around 2 am Central Indonesian Time. Of the 243 people on board, 30 were crew members, leaving the status of the remaining passengers unknown as operations continue.