Indonesian Authorities Launch Search for Missing Passenger Ship with 240 Aboard

Search intensifies for Indonesian ship with 240 passengers lost at sea after communication failure. Rescue teams mobilize in Java Sea.

Editorial Desk

September 13, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Banjarmasin, Indonesia — Indonesian officials have initiated a large-scale search operation following the loss of contact with a passenger ship carrying at least 240 individuals in the Java Sea.

The vessel, named Virgo Transport 8, was en route from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, when it reportedly experienced a communication breakdown, according to local rescue authorities.

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The ship’s last known location was approximately 148 kilometers (92 miles) from a pier in Banjarmasin, as per the latest available data. The manifest listed 241 passengers on board, though no casualties have been reported so far. Rescue teams have been deployed to the area, with an operations center set up in Trisakti, as confirmed by Arianto Ardi, the head of Banjarmasin’s rescue agency.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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