Massive Rescue Operation Underway in Indonesia for 129 Missing After Ferry Capsizes

A relative of a passenger on board the Virgo Transport 8 ship that sank while sailing from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan, speaks on a phone while looking for news about the search and rescue operation at Tanjung Perak port in Surabaya, East Java province, Indonesia, September 13, 2026.

Hundreds of rescuers, including the coastguard, have mobilized to search for 129 people still missing after an Indonesian passenger ship capsized in the Java Sea, authorities confirmed on Monday.

The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) reported that rescue crews have successfully saved 108 individuals, while at least six fatalities have been confirmed following Sunday's ferry disaster. The Virgo Transport 8 was transporting 243 people from Surabaya on the island of Java to the port city of Banjarmasin on Borneo when communication was lost with its operator amid adverse weather conditions.

“We have continued the search for the missing since early in the morning. We are deploying 622 personnel and around 12 ships,” I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin rescue agency, stated to Reuters.

Operations on Monday were severely hampered by choppy waters, high waves, and strong winds, according to Mohammad Syafii, head of the national rescue agency. “We would also deploy personnel with underwater rescue skills but the current conditions do not allow us to,” he explained.

Arianto Ardi, another official at the rescue agency, noted that the capsized vessel is located approximately 80 nautical miles—about 150 kilometers—from the command centre at Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin. “The conditions there are quite windy, making it difficult for the vessel to dock,” he added.

Footage released by the rescue agency displayed a large red-and-black ship lying upside down and partially submerged in turbulent blue water, its red underside exposed above the surface. Two smaller boats with passengers were observed floating nearby in the rough seas.

Edy Prakoso, an official with the national rescue agency, reported on Sunday that the vessel listed heavily to one side after being struck by powerful waves on its starboard side. Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi stated that a passing helicopter first reported the capsize on Sunday, and an investigation into the exact cause is currently underway. He confirmed that the boat had a capacity of 500 passengers and was not overloaded.

Indonesia relies extensively on ferry networks across its 17,000 islands, where maritime travel remains a cheaper and more accessible alternative to aviation, though the sector has faced numerous accidents. In separate incidents last month, five people died when a ferry caught fire off Madura Island, and one person died in a fire aboard a vessel traveling from Bali.