Indonesia says 6 killed, 129 missing after ferry capsizes off Java

BANJARMASIN, Indonesia — Rescuers in Indonesia said at least six people were killed and 129 others were missing on Sunday after a ferry sailing between the islands of Java and Borneo was hit by bad weather and capsized.

The Virgo Transport 8 — which authorities said carried 213 passengers and 30 crew — lost contact with its shipping company early Sunday after departing from Surabaya in East Java.

Basarnas, Indonesia's national search and rescue agency, said in its latest update that six people were killed and that one more survivor was found, bringing the number of people rescued to 108.

Another 129 people were still missing.

The first rescue ship carrying survivors arrived before nightfall at a pier in Banjarmasin, a city on the southern coast of Borneo island, an AFP reporter saw.

Some of the survivors were carried on stretchers into waiting ambulances.

Others were put into wheelchairs or needed help walking.

In ferry disasters in Indonesia, search efforts are typically suspended during the night.

Indonesian Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the ship had capsized.

"From the information we received, based on helicopter surveillance... the ship capsized but has not sunk. As of 3:00 p.m., it had not sunk yet, but it was capsized," he said at a news conference in Banjarmasin.

Local search and rescue chief I Putu Sudayana earlier told AFP that the ship's captain had reported to its owners before losing contact that the vessel was "tilting."

Rescuers battled waves of up to 2.5 meters to reach the ferry, Sudayana told reporters.

"It is extremely risky for vessels. Even our Basarnas vessel, which is 40 meters long, is at great risk," he said.

Two helicopters were involved in the search, and the national rescue agency said it continued to "take into account weather conditions and wave patterns in the operational area."

The vessel's last position had been detected in the Java Sea, around 150 kilometers from its destination.

Heri Purwanto, head of the Banjarmasin Sea Port Authority, said the ship, which was also carrying vehicles, lost contact at 2:00 am on Sunday.

"We responded quickly to the incident report... Our main focus and top priority at this time is the safety of everyone on board the ship, and we are deploying a coordinated rescue operation," Heri Purwanto said.

'Very shocked'

Rescue authorities have established a command centre at the Banjarmasin port, with paramedics and ambulances on standby, an AFP reporter saw.

Dozens of relatives and friends of the passengers checked a whiteboard where the names of people rescued were being updated.

Jenah, 26, told AFP she came to the command post for information about her older brother.

"I am saddened and very shocked. Until now, I haven't received any more information," said Jenah, who like many Indonesians has only one name.

"He was travelling alone. I hope he survives. I couldn't contact him since last night." Marine accidents are a regular occurrence in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands that relies heavily on boat connections for daily transport and tourism.

Lax safety standards and unpredictable weather are the main reasons for the disasters.

On Monday, a speedboat carrying eight people, including five journalists working for local and international news agencies, went missing near a volcano, Mount Anak Krakatau, in Banten province. That search is ongoing.

The journalists were sent to cover the volcano's eruption that paralysed Jakarta's main airport and several others.