Indonesian rescue teams launched a search operation on Sunday after authorities lost contact with a passenger ship carrying more than 240 people in the Java Sea. The vessel was traveling from East Java to South Kalimantan province when the incident occurred, according to officials. The Search and Rescue Office in Banjarmasin, located on Borneo island, stated that it received a report two hours after communication was lost with the Virgo Transport 8 at approximately 2 a.m. local time on Sunday. The ship had departed from Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city in East Java province, on Saturday at 10:13 a.m. and was en route to Banjarmasin. I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office, explained in a video briefing that the ship’s operator notified authorities after learning the vessel had encountered severe weather. Initial tracking data placed the ship’s last known position in the Java Sea, roughly 92 miles from a pier in Banjarmasin. According to the official manifest, the vessel was carrying 241 passengers. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The ship’s operator, PT Virgo Yoel Rihi, alerted authorities to the missing vessel. In response, a rescue team gathered at the Basirih Search and Rescue pier in Banjarmasin, and a rescue ship was deployed toward the estimated final coordinates of the Virgo Transport 8. Sudayana, who is leading the coordination efforts, emphasized that authorities are mobilizing all available personnel and resources given the high number of individuals on board. The agency is actively working alongside maritime authorities and other relevant organizations while keeping a close eye on unpredictable weather patterns across the search area.
Source: cbsnews.com
