Economy

Indonesia ferry disaster: death toll reaches 64 as 71 remain missing

Sunday 27 September 2026 - 13:50

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The death toll from the sinking of the Virgo Transport 8 ferry in Indonesia's Java Sea has risen to 64, while rescuers continue searching for 71 people still missing nearly two weeks after the accident.

Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency, Basarnas, said Saturday that 172 of the 243 people listed on the vessel's manifest had been located. The figure includes 108 survivors and 64 people who died in the disaster.

The latest update followed the recovery of 11 additional bodies during the 14th day of search operations. Four were found near the site where the ferry sank, while seven others were recovered from waters off Central Kalimantan.

Search operation enters a critical phase

Rescue teams remain focused on locating those who have not yet been accounted for. The operation involves searches around the wreck and in surrounding waters, where currents and sea conditions have complicated efforts to recover victims.

Earlier in the operation, underwater teams had identified victims inside passenger compartments of the sunken vessel. Divers have had to work cautiously around the wreck because of its position beneath the surface and difficult underwater conditions.

Authorities have also considered salvage operations to facilitate access to parts of the vessel that remain difficult for divers to reach. Basarnas previously said that the search would need to be coordinated with efforts to move the wreck.

Ferry was travelling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin

The Virgo Transport 8 departed from Surabaya, on the island of Java, on September 12, bound for Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan.

The vessel encountered adverse weather during the voyage and subsequently lost contact at around 2 a.m. local time on September 13. Basarnas reported that the ferry had been carrying 243 people, including 213 passengers and 30 crew members.

The vessel eventually capsized and sank in the Java Sea, triggering a large-scale maritime search involving sea and air assets.

Difficult conditions have slowed recovery efforts

The underwater phase of the operation has presented significant challenges. Basarnas previously reported strong currents at the wreck site, at times making diving operations unsafe. Search teams have therefore had to use limited windows when conditions below the surface become more favorable.

Divers from Basarnas, the Indonesian Navy and other rescue units have been deployed to search the wreck and surrounding waters. On earlier days, authorities expanded the search area to account for the possibility that victims could have been carried away by currents and waves.

Families await news of missing passengers

With 71 people still unaccounted for, the search remains the priority for Indonesian authorities.

The latest recovery of 11 bodies has increased the confirmed death toll but has also reduced the number of people still officially missing. Rescue teams are continuing their efforts both around the wreck and in nearby waters as authorities work to establish the final toll from one of Indonesia's recent major maritime accidents.

The operation is expected to continue as long as conditions allow rescuers to work safely and recover those still missing.