Death toll from capsized ship in Indonesia rises to 20

In this photo taken with a smartphone, rescuers carry the body of a victim from a passenger ferry that overturned in bad weather in the Java Sea upon arrival at a port in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. (Photo: AP)

JAKARTA, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a passenger ship that capsized and sank in Indonesia's Java Sea rose to 20 on Wednesday, with 115 people still missing and 108 survivors, according to the National Search and Rescue Agency.

The Virgo Transport 8 departed Surabaya in East Java on Sept. 12 for Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan. It encountered bad weather during the voyage and lost contact at around 2 a.m. local time on Sept. 13.

Rescuers have since found bodies inside the ship and along the coast of Central Kalimantan province.

Divers are focusing their search on the ship's cabins, but poor underwater visibility and strong currents have hampered the operation, the agency said.

Indonesia, an archipelagic country with around 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferries and other forms of sea transportation to connect its islands and facilitate travel. Maritime accidents occur from time to time due to factors including weather conditions, sea conditions and vessel safety.