Indonesian Rescuers Search for Missing Passenger Ship in Java Sea

The vessel, named the Virgo Transport 8, was traveling from East Java to South Kalimantan province on Borneo island when it experienced a communication failure. According to the Search and Rescue Office in Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan province, officials received a report about the incident roughly two hours after contact was lost with the ship at approximately 2 a.m. local time on Sunday. The ship’s operator, PT Virgo Yoel Rihi, reported the communication failure after receiving information that the vessel had encountered bad weather at sea. Official ship manifests state that the Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 241 passengers. Authorities have not received any immediate reports of casualties resulting from the incident. Search Operations and Mobilization

In response to the missing vessel, rescue personnel were immediately dispatched to the area, according to Arianto Ardi, operations chief at the Banjarmasin rescue agency. A rescue ship was deployed directly toward the estimated last known position of the Virgo Transport 8. I Putu Sudayana, who heads the Search and Rescue Office in Banjarmasin, stated in a video briefing that authorities were mobilizing all available personnel and assets given the large number of passengers and crew on board the ship. Rescue coordinators are actively working alongside maritime authorities and other relevant agencies to comb the area. Agencies are also closely monitoring ongoing weather conditions in the Java Sea as search efforts continue.