Six dead, 129 missing after passenger ship capsizes in Java Sea

Surabaya, Indonesia. Six people were confirmed dead and 129 remained missing on Monday after the passenger ship Virgo Transport 8 capsized in the Java Sea over the weekend.

Authorities rescued 108 of the 243 people aboard the vessel, which was travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan.

Search operation

Hundreds of rescuers, including coastguard and navy personnel, were deployed to search for the missing passengers after the ship went missing in bad weather early on Sunday.

Mohammad Syafii, head of the national rescue agency, said choppy waters, high waves and strong winds were hindering the operation.

The agency deployed at least 622 personnel, 17 ships, five helicopters and aircraft. Although some vessels had reached the site, rescuers were finding it difficult to enter the capsized ship, Syafii said.

“We would also deploy personnel with underwater rescue skills but the current conditions do not allow us to,” he said.

Other maritime incidents

In September 2026, at least 76 people died when a ferry carrying more than 130 people caught fire while travelling from Manila to Coron in Palawan, Philippines.

In August 2026, one person died and more than 200 people were rescued after a ferry travelling from Bali caught fire in waters off Lombok, Indonesia, on August 12.

Also in August 2026, five people died and 233 passengers and crew were rescued from a ferry that caught fire off Indonesia’s Madura island.

In July 2026, at least 15 Indian tourists died when a boat capsized off Vietnam’s southern island of Phu Quoc.

In January 2026, at least 18 people died when a vessel carrying more than 300 people capsized en route to the southern Philippine province of Sulu.