A survivor of the Virgo Transport 8 says the ferry capsized in under five minutes after leaving Surabaya for Banjarmasin, and the overturned vessel was later found about 150 km offshore. Basarnas reported six deaths and 129 missing as of Tuesday, though passenger numbers vary between sources. Nearly 1,100 rescuers plus numerous ships and aircraft are searching; bad weather has hampered operations. Authorities say they are adapting search methods and following international protocols.
Survivor Says Virgo Transport 8 Capsized In Under Five Minutes — Dozens Missing Off Java
A woman reacts as police officers display a list of the victims of the Virgo Transport 8 ferry (AFP/Getty)
The Virgo Transport 8, a passenger ferry that departed Surabaya bound for Banjarmasin on Borneo, capsized early on Sunday and sank within minutes, survivors and rescuers say. The overturned vessel was later located inverted roughly 150 km from the port of Banjarmasin.
Survivor's Account
Rizky Apriansyah, a waiter aboard the ferry, said he was sleeping on the top deck when friends woke him at about 1 a.m. and urged him to put on a life jacket. By that time the vessel was listing about 30 degrees. He said waves of roughly 3–4 m repeatedly struck the ship and pushed it over; there was no alarm to warn passengers.
"When I went out that door, I immediately fell onto the ship's railing. I held on and hugged my friends, then we were swept away by the waves," he told Reuters. "It only took minutes for the ship to capsize, even less than 10 minutes."
Apriansyah and four friends clung to a floating 12 kg cooking-gas cylinder about 15 m from the ferry and drifted for around 10 hours until another vessel rescued them. Local agency Antara reported five crew members also survived by holding onto an empty LPG cylinder.
Rescue Efforts And Reported Figures
Indonesia's search-and-rescue agency Basarnas reported six confirmed deaths and 129 people still missing as of Tuesday — figures that officials said had not changed since Sunday. Passenger counts vary between sources: Reuters cited roughly 234 aboard, while Antara reported 243 passengers and said 114 had been rescued by Tuesday night.
Nearly 1,100 rescuers, including navy and police personnel, are taking part in the operation, supported by more than a dozen vessels and five aircraft. Stormy seas delayed the planned evacuation of 22 survivors to shore, and four additional bodies were airlifted to Banjarmasin on Tuesday.
Operator Response And Search Strategy
Operator Virgo Karya Shipping said it could not immediately explain why an alarm was not sounded and that it needed to consult with crew members. Basarnas head Mohammad Syafii said search teams are alternating methods daily to respond to shifting currents in the Java Sea and that the agency follows international protocols subject to annual audits by the International Maritime Organization.
Context
Maritime accidents occur frequently in Indonesia—an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferry travel is a vital mode of transport. Authorities cite lax safety enforcement and unpredictable weather as recurring causes of such disasters.
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