Indonesian passenger ship overturns, sparking search for about 130 missing

People look for the names of their family members on a passenger list after a ferry overturned in bad weather in the Java Sea, at the rescuers command center in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. Iman Satria/AP hide caption

BANJARMASIN, Indonesia — Indonesian rescuers say about 130 passengers and crew are missing after a ferry carrying more than 240 people sank in bad weather in the Java Sea on Sunday. At least 107 people were rescued and the bodies of six passengers were recovered as the search operation expanded in waters around the vessel's last known position.

The ferry was traveling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province, officials said.

The vessel's captain had earlier reported rough seas with waves up to 3 meters (10 feet) before issuing a distress message, saying the ship was listing, said I Putu Sudayana, who heads the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office. Authorities later received information indicating the vessel had overturned and then sunk.

The rescue agency in Banjarmasin said it received a report two hours after contact was lost with the Virgo Transport 8 at about 2 a.m. Sunday. The ship had departed from Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city, en route to Banjarmasin, a city on Borneo Island.

"The ship's operator reported the incident to authorities after receiving information that the vessel had encountered bad weather," Sudayana said in a video briefing.

In response, a rescue ship was headed to the Virgo Transport 8's estimated last known position, he said, and authorities were deploying rescue teams supported by four vessels, including a navy ship, and a helicopter as the ferry was carrying a large number of passengers and crew.

Initial information indicated the vessel's last known position was in the Java Sea, about 148 kilometers (92 miles) from a pier in Banjarmasin. The ship's manifest said it was carrying 243 people — 213 passengers and 30 crew members — although it is common in Indonesia for the number of passengers to differ from the manifest.