Indonesian Rescue Teams Scramble After Passenger Ship Carrying 240 Goes Missing

Indonesian authorities have launched a search for the Virgo Transport 8 after the vessel lost contact in the Java Sea while carrying 240 passengers.

Editorial Desk

September 13, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Banjarmasin, Indonesia — Indonesian rescue teams initiated a search operation on Sunday following the disappearance of a passenger vessel carrying 240 people. The ship lost contact while navigating from East Java toward South Kalimantan on the island of Borneo.

Officials from the Search and Rescue Office in Banjarmasin confirmed they were alerted to a communication failure involving the Virgo Transport 8. The vessel had been traveling from Surabaya, the nation’s second-largest city, when it vanished.

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Data suggests the ship was last tracked in the Java Sea, approximately 148km away from a pier in Banjarmasin. At this time, there have been no reports regarding potential casualties.

Arianto Ardi, the operations chief for the Banjarmasin rescue agency, verified that contact with the ship had been severed and noted that rescue crews have been deployed to the region. We have established an operations post at Trisakti, Mr. Arianto stated.

The ship’s operator notified authorities of the situation after receiving reports that the vessel had been struggling with adverse weather conditions. Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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