Loading the video
Video.
Indonesia races to find 129 missing after Java Sea ferry capsizes
Updated: 14/09/2026 – 10:29 GMT+2
Indonesia intensified its search operation on 14 September for 129 people still missing after the Virgo Transport 8 ferry capsized in rough seas in the Java Sea the previous day. By then, 108 survivors had been rescued and six bodies recovered.
At least 108 people have been rescued and six bodies recovered after the vessel overturned in the waters off Masalembo, about 148 km from Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan province.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Survivors were taken to a temporary medical post at Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin. Some said passengers rushed to the upper deck and scrambled for life jackets as the ferry began to list.
According to its manifest, the ferry was carrying 243 people: 213 passengers and 30 crew, as well as 89 vehicles. The passenger breakdown included 59 adult passengers, one child, and 126 drivers and vehicle assistants, plus 27 ship‑related workers. The vessel lost contact at about 2 a.m. local time on Sunday after its captain reported waves of up to 3 metres and a heavy list to starboard; a passing helicopter later confirmed it had capsized. Authorities received a distress call around two hours after contact was lost.
By Monday, at least 622 personnel had been deployed on 17 vessels and five aircraft, including navy ships and helicopters, to search the area around the wreck. The national search and rescue agency (Basarnas) said divers and navy‑operated underwater drones would be used to look inside and around the overturned hull, but rough seas and strong currents were hampering efforts. Officials said the ferry was not overloaded and was carrying fewer than its maximum capacity of 500 people, though they noted that actual passenger numbers in Indonesia often differ from manifests.
The 119-metre roll-on/roll-off ferry was built in Japan in 1987 and sold to Indonesia last year. It left Surabaya in East Java on Saturday afternoon bound for Banjarmasin, but encountered severe weather overnight. The cause of the capsizing, whether weather-related, technical failure or human error, remains under investigation as families gathered at ports in Surabaya and Banjarmasin awaiting news of missing relatives.
Top stories
Now playing
Next
Indonesia races to find 129 missing after Java Sea ferry capsizes
Now playing
Next
Drone strikes hit key Ukraine-Poland supply route, sparking border fires
Now playing
Next
Moment teen is rescued after three days adrift in frigid waters
Now playing
Next
Latest news bulletin | September 14th, 2026 – Morning
Now playing
Next
Heavyweights Bring the Hungary Grand Slam to a Spectacular Close
Now playing
Next
Latest news bulletin | September 13th, 2026 – Evening
Now playing
Next
Latest news bulletin | September 13th, 2026 – Midday
Now playing
Next
Retired wind turbines are turning into tiny homes and alpine skis
Now playing
Next
Trump hopes for ‘reunified’ Ireland, hits out at Europe on Iran war
Now playing
Next
At least 11 killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine as Kyiv strikes Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’
Now playing
Next
Russia launches more than 450 drones in overnight attacks on Ukraine
Now playing
Next
Trump says Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy are spiking prices
Now playing
Next
‘Nobody can be weak’, says Latvian Prime Minister over Russia threats
Now playing
Next
Swedish centre-left holds slim election lead, but final result still too close to call
Now playing
Next
Sweden faces ‘very messy’ political situation after election, expert says
Now playing
Next
Atokos: The tiny Greek island where people and wild boars swim in the sea and sunbathe together