Indonesia: 26 dead, 109 missing ten days after ferry disaster
Murky waters, currents, and stacked vehicles are hindering access to the cabins of the Virgo Transport 8. Search operations are set to continue until September 27.
The death toll from the sinking of the ferry Virgo Transport 8 in Indonesia rose to 26 on Wednesday, September 23. Ten days after the capsizing, 109 people remain missing in the Java Sea, while divers are focusing their search efforts on the ship’s cabins.
The coast guard and navy have recovered 14 bodies from within the wreckage over three days. Two additional victims were found on a beach in Central Kalimantan, approximately 253 kilometers from the accident site. Mohammad Syafii, the head of the National Search and Rescue Agency, confirmed that 108 survivors have been located.
The ferry was carrying 243 people, including 30 crew members, when it capsized on September 13 due to bad weather. It was traveling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan. The exact cause of the incident remains to be determined, and President Prabowo Subianto has called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Divers broke windows on Tuesday, but murky waters and strong currents are still preventing them from accessing several cabins. Stacked vehicles inside the ferry are also complicating the rescue efforts. The search operations have been extended until Sunday, September 27, and efforts to right the wreck continue.
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