Java Sea Ferry Disaster: Divers Recover Three More Bodies While 126 Remain Missing

Indonesian divers have initiated salvage operations to retrieve victims and right the passenger ferry that capsized in the Java Sea. Following five days of rescue limitations caused by strong currents and large waves, authorities made the decision on Friday to upright the ship to aid recovery efforts.

Local navy commander Galih Nurna Putra informed reporters on Friday that an expert team has been brought in to assist the operation. "The salvage operation is under way," Galih stated, noting that "there was an observation yesterday."

Officials reported that divers successfully entered the ship on Friday and discovered the bodies of two men and a woman. However, strong currents subsequently forced an end to the underwater search.

The death toll has now risen to nine confirmed fatalities alongside 108 survivors, while 126 passengers and crew members are still missing. Specialist divers capable of operating at depths exceeding 100 metres (328 feet) have been deployed, after rough weather previously hindered 1,100 rescuers from searching for the missing.

Galih explained that the salvage team intends to tow the vessel into shallower waters before righting it. I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin search and rescue agency, stated that teams will be able to resume recovering bodies once the vessel is uprighted, noting that divers face significant risks if they attempt to enter the capsized ship beforehand.

According to Sudayana, the operation will be led by the ship’s owner in accordance with Indonesian law, with backing from the rescue agency, the navy, and maritime police. The capsized vessel has complicated rescue efforts as it remains unstable due to trapped air and empty compartments, which could cause the hull to shift unexpectedly.

Arianto Ardi, another official at the rescue agency, told the Reuters news agency that the vessel remains difficult to access, lying roughly 80 nautical miles (148km) from the command centre at Trisakti port in Banjarmasin.

The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 people on a 20-hour voyage from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when it capsized in bad weather early on Sunday. Indonesia heavily relies on ferries across its 17,000 islands, where sea travel is more affordable and accessible than flying.