Tuesday, September 29, 2026 - The death toll from an Indonesian ferry that capsized earlier this month has risen to 66, and rescuers are still searching for 69 missing passengers on the 16th day of the operation.
The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 people, including 30
crew members and an unknown number of vehicles, when it capsized in bad weather
early on September 13.
It was sailing from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in
South Kalimantan when it overturned in the Java Sea, according to Indonesia's
search and rescue agency.
Figures released on Monday show 108 people survived, 69 are
missing and 66 bodies have been recovered.
Conditions are tough and risky for rescuers.
Senior agency official Hardiansyah Putra said divers moved
through unstable debris on Monday as they tried to search the ferry's cabins,
and they can only go down to a maximum depth of 27 metres.
The 4,277-tonne vessel tilts from side to side, has sharp
objects scattered inside, and is leaking fuel with dense gas around it.
Another official, I Putu Sudayana, said divers could not get
into the compartments.
He said the ship's operator would need to right the vessel
and bring it to the surface so rescuers can reach them better.
A helicopter was also expected to airlift some of the
recovered bodies on Monday.
The long search has added to the pain of relatives and
friends waiting for news.
Rescuers are focusing on areas of the ferry where they
believe victims could still be trapped, and authorities have not said when the
operation will end.
Indonesia depends heavily on ferries to link its roughly
17,000 islands, which makes sea travel an affordable option for many people.
The country has, however, seen many ferry and maritime
accidents over the years, showing the risks that come with this reliance.
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