Indonesian search and rescue authorities launched a large-scale emergency operation in the Java Sea after a passenger and cargo vessel, the Virgo Transport 8, lost contact carrying 243 passengers and crew.
The vessel was en route from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when it encountered severe weather conditions and lost communication approximately 148 kilometers from its destination. According to I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office, rescue teams deployed specialized response vessels, including the KN SAR Laksmana 241, to the ship’s last known coordinates upon receiving alerts from the operator.
Search and rescue personnel have successfully evacuated 103 individuals from the vessel so far, while one casualty has been confirmed. Search operations remain ongoing to locate and rescue the remaining passengers and crew members stranded at sea.
