Six Dead, About 130 Missing After Indonesian Ferry Capsizes in Java Sea

A passenger ferry called the Virgo Transport 8 capsized in the Java Sea in bad weather while traveling from the East Java city of Surabaya toward Borneo. The vessel departed on Saturday, September 12, 2026, carrying more than 240 people, including 30 crew members; The Guardian specified 243 people onboard. The capsizing and subsequent loss of contact were confirmed by Indonesian authorities on Sunday, September 13, 2026. Indonesia's national search and rescue agency, Basarnas, reported that at least six people had died and that 107 people had been rescued and brought to safety. Approximately 130 passengers and crew remained unresponsive or unaccounted for as of Sunday, though one report cited the figure as "at least 129" missing. Rescue operations involving ships and helicopters were launched and were ongoing as authorities searched the Java Sea for survivors. As of the latest reporting, the search and rescue operation was still underway, with no confirmed final resolution on the fate of those missing. The exact figure of missing persons varies slightly across sources (129 versus 130), and this discrepancy remains unresolved. It is not yet confirmed what caused the vessel to overturn beyond references to bad weather, nor has a definitive final casualty count been established.