Death toll from capsized ship in Indonesia rises to 78

JAKARTA, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a passenger ship that capsized and sank in Indonesia's Java Sea has risen to 78, the country's National Search and Rescue Agency said on Wednesday.

In this photo taken with a smartphone, rescuers wheels a survivor of a sinking ferry on a stretcher upon arrival at a port in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (Photo: AP)

The rescue teams are still looking for 57 missing people, while 108 others have been evacuated safely.

The Virgo Transport 8, with 243 people onboard, departed Surabaya in East Java on Sept. 12 for Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan. It encountered bad weather and lost contact at around 2 a.m. local time on Sept. 13.

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

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.