Indonesia searches for 129 missing after passenger ship capsizes

Drone shot of a sunken ship in Chukai, Terengganu's clear waters. File photo.

JAKARTA — September 15, 2026

Indonesian rescuers are battling strong winds and high waves in the Java Sea as they search for 129 people still missing after the passenger ship Virgo Transport 8 capsized during a voyage from Surabaya to Banjarmasin. Six people have been confirmed dead and 108 have been rescued from the vessel, which was carrying 243 people.

Indonesia's national rescue agency has deployed more than 600 personnel, 17 ships, five helicopters and aircraft to the operation. Rescue teams have reached the area, but rough seas have made it difficult to approach the partially submerged ship and begin a full search.

Mohammad Syafii, head of the national rescue agency, said waves and strong winds were preventing specialist underwater rescuers from working safely. Authorities were using the waiting period to identify and prepare additional personnel with the skills needed for the operation.

The capsized ship is about 80 nautical miles, or nearly 150 kilometres, from the rescue command centre at Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin. Rescue official Arianto Ardi said strong winds were making it difficult for vessels to reach and dock near the ship.

As of Monday afternoon, rescuers had not located any of the 129 missing people, Ardi said. Search efforts remained limited because of the weather.

The incident occurred early Sunday after the vessel encountered severe conditions. Syafii said waves reached as high as three metres, while another rescue official said the ship tilted heavily after large waves struck its starboard, or right-hand, side.

The journey normally takes about five hours from Trisakti Port in good weather, but rough conditions can extend the trip to as much as nine hours. The rescue agency released video showing the large red-and-black ship lying on its side in choppy water, with part of its red-painted underside above the surface.

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the vessel was designed to carry up to 500 passengers, meaning authorities did not believe overcrowding caused the accident.

The Java Sea, which lies between several of Indonesia's major islands, has been the scene of a number of serious maritime accidents. The area around the Masalembo Islands has sometimes been described as Indonesia's "Bermuda Triangle" because of the history of maritime and aviation accidents there.

The Tampomas II sank in the area in 1981, with estimates putting the death toll at nearly 600. An aircraft also crashed in the region in 2007, killing more than 100 people.

At Surabaya port, families continued to wait for information about those aboard the ship. Freddy Manuhua was waiting for news of his brother, Stefiyansah, who had worked as a keyboard player on the ship's entertainment programme for about two months.

Manuhua said he had taken his brother to the port on Saturday before the ship left for Banjarmasin. He said his brother had been excited about his new job and that he hoped to see him again.

Ferries are an important part of transportation in Indonesia, an archipelago of about 17,000 islands. Sea travel is generally cheaper and more accessible than flying, but the country has experienced repeated ferry accidents.

Two passenger ferries caught fire in separate incidents last month, killing six people. Five died in an incident off Madura Island, while another person was killed when a ferry travelling from Bali caught fire in waters near Lombok.

The immediate priority remains finding the 129 missing passengers. But continuing high winds and rough seas are making the search increasingly difficult, forcing rescue teams to balance the urgency of reaching survivors with the safety of those involved in the operation.