Rescuers in Indonesia began a search on Sunday for a passenger vessel, Virgo Transport 8, that is missing in the country’s Java Sea.
The ship had departed from Surabaya in East Java en route to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan in the Indonesian section of the island of Borneo. The operator reported that the ship was going through bad weather on the way, authorities said.
The contact was lost around 2am local Sunday. Initial reports to the search and rescue authorities put the last known location about 148 kilometres away from a pier in Banjarmasin.
There were 241 people on the ship’s passenger list. At the time of the initial report, there were no immediate reports of casualties.
A rescue team was dispatched to the Basirih Search and Rescue pier and a rescue vessel was dispatched in direction towards the ship’s estimated last position.
Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office chief I Putu Sudayana said that all personnel and equipment were being mobilised due to the number of people suspected to be on board.
The search was being co-ordinated with maritime authorities and other agencies, and there was still a watch for weather in the area.
A later Indonesian report said that there were 243 people on board and rescue was ongoing.
