Scene from the capsize
Death toll from Indonesian ferry capsize rises to 66, 69 missing
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- At least 66 people have died after an Indonesian ferry capsized, while 69 remain missing.
- Rescue teams are continuing their search for a 16th day, focusing on the ferry’s unstable wreckage.
- The ferry was carrying 243 people when it capsized in bad weather on Sep. 13.
The death toll from the capsizing of an Indonesian ferry rose to 66 on Monday, while 69 passengers remained missing as search and rescue operations continued for a 16th day.
The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 people, including 30 crew members, as well as an unknown number of vehicles, when it capsized in bad weather on Sept. 13 while travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan.
Hardiansyah Putra, a senior official at Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, said diving teams were continuing to search the unstable wreck, focusing on compartments where missing passengers could be found.
Rescue agency data showed that 108 people had survived, while 69 remained missing.
Indonesia relies heavily on ferries to travel between its roughly 17,000 islands because sea transport is generally cheaper and more accessible than air travel. The country has recorded several maritime accidents in recent years.
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