Indonesian rescuers battle 2.5-metre waves after ferry carrying 243 people lost contact

JAKARTA: One person has died and more than 100 people have been rescued after a ferry travelling between the Indonesian islands of Java and Borneo ran into severe weather conditions, rescue officials said on Sunday.

The Virgo Transport 8, carrying 243 passengers and crew, lost contact with its shipping company early Sunday after departing from Surabaya in East Java.

Local search and rescue chief I Putu Sudayana said 103 passengers had been evacuated from the vessel.

“One of the passengers had died,” Sudayana told reporters in the port city of Banjarmasin, where the ferry was headed.

Rescuers Battle Rough Seas

Rescue teams faced waves reaching up to 2.5 metres (8.2 feet) while attempting to reach the troubled ferry.

Sudayana said the conditions posed a serious risk even to rescue vessels.

“It is extremely risky for vessels. Even our Basarnas vessel, which is 40 meters long, is at great risk,” he said, referring to Indonesia’s Search and Rescue Agency.

The rescue chief had earlier told AFP that the ferry’s captain reported that the vessel was “tilting” before communication was lost.

The ferry’s last known position was detected in the Java Sea, approximately 150 kilometres (90 miles) from its destination.

Indonesia Faces Frequent Maritime Accidents

Maritime accidents are relatively common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands that relies heavily on ferries and other boats for transportation and tourism.

Poor safety standards and unpredictable weather conditions are among the factors frequently linked to deadly maritime accidents in the country.

The latest incident comes amid a series of recent maritime accidents in Indonesian waters.

A speedboat carrying eight people, including five journalists working for local and international news organisations, went missing near Mount Anak Krakatau in Banten province. A search operation was underway.

The journalists had travelled to cover the volcano’s eruption, which disrupted operations at Jakarta’s main airport and several other airports.

Recent Ferry Accidents in Indonesia

Last month, a ferry fire killed one person and left five others missing in the Lombok Strait, off Indonesia’s Bali island. A total of 211 people were rescued after the vessel, travelling from Bali to Lombok, encountered trouble in the early hours of August 12.

In July, another ferry carrying more than 70 people sank while travelling near Selayar, a small island south of Sulawesi.

The latest ferry incident has once again highlighted concerns over maritime safety in Indonesia, where millions of people depend on sea transport to travel between the country’s islands.