Indonesia: Passenger ship with 241 people on board goes missing
What's the story
A passenger ship, Virgo Transport 8, with 241 people on board has gone missing in the Java Sea, the Associated Press reported, citing officials. The vessel lost contact while sailing from East Java to South Kalimantan province of Indonesia. The last known position of the ship was about 148km from Banjarmasin's pier, according to initial reports.
Weather conditions
Ship operator informed authorities about incident
The ship's operator, PT Virgo Yoel Rihi, informed authorities about the incident after receiving reports of bad weather.
The vessel had left Surabaya at 10:13am local time on Saturday and was headed to Banjarmasin when it lost contact around 2am Sunday.
The Search and Rescue Office in Banjarmasin received news about the missing ship two hours after communication was lost.
Rescue efforts
Authorities closely monitoring weather conditions in area
I Putu Sudayana, head of the Search and Rescue Office, said they are mobilizing all available personnel and assets due to the large number of people on board.
A rescue team has been deployed from Banjarmasin's Basirih Search and Rescue pier with a rescue ship heading toward Virgo Transport 8's last known position.
Authorities are coordinating with maritime agencies while closely monitoring weather conditions in the area.
Transport issues
Sea travel often cheaper than air travel
Indonesia, an archipelago of around 17,000 islands, heavily relies on ferries and passenger ships for transportation.
Sea travel is often cheaper and more accessible than air travel in the country.
However, safety standards have not always been strictly enforced, leading to a high rate of maritime accidents.
In August this year, a ferry caught fire off Madura Island while sailing from Java to Sulawesi, leaving at least 5 people dead and 41 missing.