JAKARTA: Indonesian rescuers have found 103 people from a passenger ship that lost contact with authorities in the Java Sea during bad weather, officials said.
The Virgo Transport 8, carrying more than 240 people, departed Surabaya in East Java on Saturday for Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan before communications were lost, Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said.
“At the time of this statement, the ship cannot be contacted and its whereabouts are unknown,” the agency said.
At least 107 people were rescued and the bodies of six passengers were recovered as the search operation expanded in waters around the vessel’s last known position.
It later said 103 people had been rescued, while 140 remained missing and one had died.
The Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office said the vessel’s last known position was about 148 km from one of the city’s piers.
