JAKARTA (Bernama): Indonesian authorities on Sunday confirmed that passenger ferry Virgo Transport 8, which was reported to have lost contact earlier in the day, had capsized in the Java Sea off South Kalimantan, as rescuers continued searching for those still missing.
Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the ferry, carrying 243 people and last reported about 80 nautical miles from Banjarmasin, had been located through observations from a helicopter involved in the search operation.
"From the information we received from the helicopter, the ferry had overturned, so it had not sunk,” he told a press conference in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, streamed by local media.
According to the latest update from Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), 107 people had been rescued and six were confirmed dead as of 2.56 pm local time, while 130 remained missing.
Basarnas in a statement, said the ferry was carrying 213 passengers and 30 crew members on the Surabaya-Banjarmasin route when it lost contact at about 2 am after encountering bad weather and was reported to be tilting to one side.
Dudy said the bottom of the overturned ferry remained visible above the water, while vessels were deployed around the site and at several other points to search for those still unaccounted for.
"We cannot yet determine whether the victims are still inside the ferry or perhaps at locations farther away from the ferry,” he said.
On questions over the ferry's sailing permit, Dudy said it was issued by the Surabaya Harbourmaster and Port Authority Office (KSOP) when the vessel departed on Saturday, based on weather information available at the time, which indicated conditions were suitable for sailing.
"Regarding the cause and what recommendations may later be issued, that will have to wait until after the KNKT(National Transportation Safety Committee) investigation,” he said.
A total of 280 personnel were involved in the search and rescue operation, supported by vessels and aircraft from Basarnas, the Indonesian Navy and other agencies, with the search area being expanded based on the ferry's last known position and locations where survivors had been found. -- BERNAMA
