Ferry Disaster in Java Sea Leaves Over 130 Missing

On Sunday, September 13, 2026, Indonesian rescuers reported a tragic incident in the Java Sea involving the capsizing of a ferry. The vessel, carrying over 240 people, sank due to bad weather conditions. Roughly 130 passengers and crew remain unaccounted for, with 107 individuals rescued and six bodies recovered, as the search continues near the ferry’s last known position.

The ferry was en route from Surabaya, East Java, to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan. According to I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office, the captain reported encountering rough seas with waves reaching up to 3 meters before sending a distress signal about the ship’s instability. Authorities later learned that the vessel had overturned and submerged.

The rescue operations commenced two hours after losing contact with the Virgo Transport 8 around 2 a.m. Sunday. Officials discovered that the ferry departed from Surabaya — Indonesia’s second-largest city — bound for Banjarmasin on Borneo Island. Sudayana stated in a video briefing that after receiving reports of adverse weather, a rescue ship was dispatched to the last known vicinity of the ferry. The rescue team deployed four vessels, including a navy ship and a helicopter.

Initial reports detailed the ship’s last known location in the Java Sea, approximately 148 kilometers from Banjarmasin’s pier. The manifest documented 243 passengers and crew, but discrepancies between the manifest and actual passengers are common in Indonesia. Sudayana is coordinating with maritime and other agencies while monitoring weather conditions closely. By Sunday afternoon, rescuers had saved 107 people and recovered six bodies with assistance from passing vessels and local tugboats.

The Virgo Transport 8, made in Japan, is designed to accommodate both passengers and vehicles. As news of the disaster reached families, hundreds of distraught relatives gathered at Banjarmasin’s Trisakti port, anxiously checking the manifests and rescue lists for information about their loved ones. A woman by the name of Bunga found relief in learning her uncle had been rescued after discovering his name on the passenger list.

Indonesia, comprising over 17,000 islands, frequently uses ferries as a primary mode of transit, yet safety regulations often fall short. In recent incidents, just last month, 211 passengers were rescued from an Indonesian ferry fire near Bali, resulting in one fatality and four missing individuals. In another event, the Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry caught fire off Java, concluding with five deaths. Comparable tragedies, including a ferry fire in the Philippines that killed at least 76 just days ago, underscore the recurring nature of maritime disasters in the region.