Indonesia Launches Search For Passenger Ship With Over 240 Aboard After Contact Lost In Java Sea
Indonesian authorities launched a search-and-rescue operation after losing contact with passenger ship Virgo Transport 8 in the Java Sea. The vessel, carrying more than 240 people, left Surabaya for Banjarmasin on September 12. Contact was lost around 2 am on September 13 amid bad weather. Its last known position was about 148 km from Banjarmasin, with searches continuing for the missing vessel.
Representational Image | Pixabay
Jakarta: Indonesian authorities have launched a search-and-rescue operation for passenger ship Virgo Transport 8 after losing contact with the vessel while it was carrying more than 240 people in the Java Sea, according to reuters.
The ship departed Surabaya in East Java at around 10:13 am on Saturday, September 12, bound for Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan. Contact with the vessel was reportedly lost at around 2 am on Sunday after it encountered bad weather.
Ship Last Located 148 Km From Banjarmasin
According to reports, the vessel's last known position was approximately 148 km (92 miles) from a pier in Banjarmasin.
The Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office received the alert about two hours after contact was lost. Rescue teams were subsequently deployed, with an operations post established and a search vessel sent towards the ship's last known location.
Search Underway Amid Bad Weather
Local SAR officials, including Banjarmasin SAR chief I Putu Sudayana and operations chief Arianto Ardi, confirmed that search efforts were underway.
There were no immediate reports of casualties, but the whereabouts of the vessel and its passengers remained unknown in the latest reports. Rescue operations were being carried out despite difficult weather conditions.
The incident remains a developing situation, with Indonesian authorities expected to provide further updates as the search continues.
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