JAKARTA, Indonesia – Six people have died and 129 remain missing after an Indonesian passenger ship carrying 243 people capsized in the Java Sea on Sunday, state-run news agency Antara reported. Rescue teams have recovered six bodies and rescued 97 people, while 129 remain unaccounted for, according to I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office.

Spanish Father and Three Children Victims in Indonesian Tourist Boat Sinking

The Virgo Transport 8 was travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when communication with the vessel was lost at around 2am local time. Those aboard included 30 crew members, 27 personnel, 60 passengers and 126 drivers and assistants, and the vessel was also carrying 89 vehicles.

The search and rescue operation is continuing, with authorities deploying vessels and aircraft to scour the area where the ship is believed to have gone down, though adverse weather conditions and the vast expanse of the Java Sea are complicating efforts to locate survivors.

Ferry With 250 Aboard Sinks Off Indonesia, Dozens Missing

The incident has renewed concerns over maritime safety standards in Indonesia, an archipelago nation where ferry disasters have claimed hundreds of lives in recent years, often due to overcrowding and lax enforcement of regulations.

-Thailand News (TN)