Ferry with 243 people aboard vanishes in Java Sea
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“At the time of this statement, the ship cannot be contacted and its whereabouts are unknown,” the agency said.
Indonesian authorities have launched a major search operation after a ferry carrying 243 people disappeared in the Java Sea during bad weather.
Contact was lost with the Virgo Transport 8 while it was travelling overnight from Surabaya to Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan province.
Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said the vessel reported encountering severe weather before communication suddenly stopped.
“At the time of this statement, the ship cannot be contacted and its whereabouts are unknown,” the agency said.
The ferry was last located at about 2 a.m. on Sunday, approximately 150 kilometres south of Banjarmasin.
A six-member rescue team was dispatched to the vessel’s last known position, although authorities estimated that it would take the team about five hours to reach the area.
Officials have not confirmed whether the ferry sank or disclosed the identities of those aboard.
The search operation remains underway as authorities race to locate the vessel and its 243 occupants.